The Raptors will retire Kyle Lowry‘s No. 7, raising his jersey to the rafters during a post-game ceremony following a January 10 matchup with the Sixers, according to a press release from the team.

Back when Lowry officially announced his retirement as a player last month, the Raptors indicated they planned to retire his No. 7 jersey in addition to holding a series of events during the September 19 weekend to recognize his legacy. He’ll become just the second player to have his number hanging in the rafters of Scotiabank Arena, joining Vince Carter (No. 15).

“I’ve been looking forward to this moment for years,” Lowry said in a statement. “I always said that Toronto is home, and that I’d retire a Raptor, and to see my No. 7 go up in that building is going to mean everything to me.”

After spending six up-and-down seasons in Memphis and Houston – where the Grizzlies and Rockets chose Mike Conley Jr. and Goran Dragic, respectively, over him – Lowry emerged as one of the NBA’s best point guards during his nine seasons with the Raptors from 2012-21.

The Philadelphia native made six consecutive All-Star teams from 2015-20 and helped the franchise win its first championship in 2019. Lowry appeared in a total of 601 regular season games for the Raptors, averaging 17.5 points, 7.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 34.6 minutes per game while knocking down 37.7% of 6.7 three-point attempts per contest.

The team won nine playoff series during Lowry’s nine years in Toronto, and he’s currently the organization’s all-time leader in assists, steals, three-pointers, and triple-doubles. He ranks second among Raptors in points behind longtime teammate DeMar DeRozan and is referred to in today’s announcement as the “GROAT” (“greatest Raptor of all-time”).

“We built something special here,” Lowry continued. “My teammates, the organization, the city and the fans, and all of Canada. We became champions together, and to be able to share this night with all of them, and with my family, is going to mean a lot to me.”

According to the Raptors’ announcement, the club intends to honor Lowry during the weekend leading up to Jan. 10, with a T-shirt giveaway on Jan. 7 vs. Minnesota and a bobblehead giveaway on Jan. 8 vs. Utah, along with “special programming and surprises” throughout both nights.

The Raptors will be facing Lowry’s hometown team on the night of his jersey retirement ceremony, with Sixers head coach Nick Nurse – who coached Toronto to its 2019 title – in the building.