NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

May 31, 2023

Kyle Lowry

Miami Heat

Media Day

Q. I was asked Jeff Green earlier about your battles with him in college in the Georgetown and Villanova days. Do you remember those battles? What it's been like to play against Jeff throughout your respective careers?

KYLE LOWRY: They weren't really battles. I won every game we played against them (laughter).

No, that Georgetown-Villanova rivalry goes back a long way and the respect that the two universities have for each other is awesome. The pros that they've both made. But just being able to have a guy who has been in the league now 16 years, a guy I played against in college, just kind of him going through his heart stuff, just to be able to see him have this opportunity on this stage and to be able to still be playing basketball at this high level is a pretty cool story for him. You just appreciate a guy like him for all the things he's been through and is still doing it at a high level.

Q. I know you guys have seen Denver since November of '21 when the incident happened here, but I'm curious what do you remember especially about the postgame? I'm guessing that had to be sort of a unique scenario. At this point, is there any lasting animosity?

KYLE LOWRY: I think it was just something that it was a heated moment. It hurt a teammate of ours, and we wanted to have his back. At that time, we're always going to have our teammate's back in that moment.

But I don't think there's anything festering. We're at a different level. We understand that it's about winning four games right now. Anything that has happened in the past is things that we can't control right now. We've got to worry about winning basketball games, and that's all that really matters.

Q. Both in Toronto and here in Miami you've been part of teams that defensively you guys can do almost anything, zone, switch, all these different coverages. What does it take from the players to be able to play that style when so many teams can't?

KYLE LOWRY: Belief and trust in your coach, honestly, and belief in each other. Being able to switch from zone to man to whatever you want to, trap, double-team, doing different things. You've got to be able to have a sharp mind and be in the moment and say whatever Coach needs, I can do, will do.

It's just fun to be able to switch things up, change rhythms, because sometimes you've just got to do something different, which in Toronto we did that, and in Miami we're doing that now. We're switching up and doing different coverages, different things. And the versatility that we have on this team is pretty remarkable.

Q. Kyle, you're one of the few that have been here and that have won it at this level. How much does that experience help and how do you use it in this series?

KYLE LOWRY: I think it will help a lot, but we've also got a head coach who's been doing it a long time, also, who has been here more than me. But I think just for me in this moment with these guys, I'll be able to help just kind of keep our focus, stay here. We've also got Udonis Haslem, who has been here, who has three rings, also.

But I think we're just prepared mentally to stay stable no matter what happens. It's kind of been our season the whole year, just being here and staying in the moment.

Q. What have you learned about Jimmy's personality playing with him, and why do you think it's worked so well with this team?

KYLE LOWRY: His personality is very different. He's one of a kind. But how he treats his teammates, he treats his friends, it's like no other. I think that's what helps us as a group.

He may say some things or he may do some things that you might be like, oh, whoa. But it's coming from the best part of his heart.

When you've got a guy like that and you respect him at that level and knowing that he's willing to do whatever it takes to win basketball games and treat you at a high level, he's our leader, so we just follow him.

Q. You just mentioned he'll do some things sometimes where you're like, whoa, but then you know it's coming from a good place. How do you know that?

KYLE LOWRY: Because we're around him every single day, unfortunately, but fortunately. But being around him, you just get to learn the guy and learn his true love for the game and his true love for winning and for you as an individual.

Q. Kyle, I'm going to take you back to 2011 --

KYLE LOWRY: Man, you're aging me so bad. Max was still in high school.

Q. Think how old I am. When you were in Houston, you had a rookie teammate named Ish Smith.

KYLE LOWRY: Yep.

Q. Ish is finally in the Finals. I wonder what you remember about that year with him.

KYLE LOWRY: He used to embarrass me and Aaron Brooks in practice. Too fast, couldn't keep up with him. I ain't going to lie, I used to dislike having to go live practice against him. But if you go back and look at his journey and the things he's been through, to finally get to this point of getting to the Finals, I can't wait to just see him and say hello. Every time I see him, he'd still call me "vet."

He was just a good kid. Coming out of Wake Forest, wasn't the best shooter but could get anywhere on the floor at any time, any moment. He was always a special kid and a special guy.

Sometimes you just have these stories that people should look into because his story is a very unorthodox story. I'm sure he's happy to be in this moment.

Q. Kyle, so much is made about this team's resilience and especially this year because of the run you've gone on as an 8 seed. How would you define Heat culture? Because it's one thing for us to talk about it and write about it, but as someone in it, what separates this organization from others?

KYLE LOWRY: I think we just don't care about what others think. I think we do what we do no matter what. I think we work hard no matter the time, the place, the situation. I think we prepare ourselves, and we're well-prepared to go into any situation no matter where it is, what time, anything. We're prepared to do it.

The culture is just about believing, and we believe in what we do every single day, every night, the work we put in.