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KL and DD: Championship. Winning a championship? KL: That’s it. If you get there, you gotta win it. [Laughs] You listen to radio and TV up here and the feeling is that you guys are not getting the respect you’re due from the rest of the NBA, that people are skeptical of how the Raptors will do in the playoffs. Do you guys feel that? KL: At the end of the day, we’ve been to a conference final. We’ve been to a second round. We’ve played the fifth-most playoff games in the last how many years. I mean, sometimes we haven’t shot the ball well, but our teams have had some success in the playoffs. Personally, I don’t pay attention to what people say. I just look at it like, “All right, whatever.” DD: Yeah, people are crazy. At the end of the day, that’s just my conclusion. Like— KL: People are crazy. DD: I’m fine with us getting everything that we get the hard way. Nothing comes easy for us. Every success, individually and teamwise, that we had, nothing has been handed to us. And you know, you find more appreciation with it. Because we know the odds that we fight every single night. I can tell that you two have no doubts when you look at each other—“I can definitely count on him.” KL: We’ve had countless conversations, countless FaceTimes where we’re talking and watching games, countless locker room talks. At the end of the day—and I’ve said it, and I’m always gonna say it—I’m going to ride or die with this guy. And I know vice versa. Wait, do you guys watch games at home and FaceTime each other? DD: Yeah. That’s not normal. [Laughs] DD: I mean, even the NCAA women’s championship game, we FaceTimed it. As soon as [Arike Ogunbowale] hit the shot— KL: Our friendship ain’t fake. Like, it ain’t a facade. It ain’t for the cameras; we just happen to be caught on camera bein’ goofy and silly. But at the end of the day, this is my brother. We’ll do everything to help each other. We’ll always be real with each other. And we’ll always have each other’s back. Your friendship has evolved too. You guys have been pretty open about the fact that
46 ES PN 05. 07. 2018
MEET THE BENCH MOB When Lowry and DeRozan subbed out, Toronto’s reserves took care of business: The so-called Bench Mob was the seventh-best five-man lineup in the NBA based on scoring differential. Bench lineup stats (NBA rank in parentheses) Off. efficiency: 116.2 (4th) Def. efficiency: 99.1 (6th) Net rating: 17.1 (2nd)* 0
125
According to NBA Advanced Stats, the Raptors averaged 52.6 drives per game this season, second only to the Jazz (52.9). They led the league with 24.9 points per game on drives.
PPG ON DRIVES
Toronto’s up-tempo style and frequent rotations this season have resulted in faster play, more passing and more 3s. RAPTORS RANKS, PAST 2 SEASONS 2017-18
2016-17
PACE 1ST
30TH
APG 1ST
30TH
3PT FGA 1ST PG
30TH *Minimum 300 minutes, courtesy NBA Advanced Stats
the first year Kyle was here, you didn’t even talk off the court. KL: He was already kind of embedded here, had his guys. And I was just like, “I’m gonna be here a couple years, then I’m out, so I ain’t gonna make it tight.” DD: I didn’t see him outside of the work facility, like— KL: Ever. DD: I really didn’t talk to him. I didn’t have
his number. I didn’t go eat with him— Wait, you didn’t have his phone number? KL: No. At all. We didn’t have each other’s number. DD: I didn’t follow him on Twitter— KL: Twitter, Instagram, nothing. So what happened? What changed? DD: I don’t know. [Laughs] That’s just the beauty of a friendship. When you think back to your closest friend, could you pinpoint when or how y’all got cool? It just happens. You look up and it’s like, “Damn, I’m stuck with you?” [Laughs] You know what I mean? You guys are legitimately different personalities, though. I want you to describe each other. KL: He goes first. DD: No, you go first. KL: All right. He’s very quiet. He’s very to himself. People would think he’s this serious guy, but he’s really a big kid at heart. He’s very loyal. And low-key—you’d never know, but he’s fiery. It takes a lot to get it out, but you don’t wanna make him mad. He’s a great father. His kids are unbelievably gorgeous. He takes care of them. He talks to ’em before every game and after every game, diligently. That’s him. All right, so what do you have about him? KL: Oh, man. [Laughs] DD: I’m gonna try my best. You know, he’s by far one of the most intelligent human beings I’ve been around. Not just basketball—I think it speaks for itself, the IQ on the court and everything. But everything else too. If
