Should Raptors have retired Kyle Lowry's jersey first?

Vince Carter is set to become the first Raptors player to have his jersey go into the rafters at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. 

Considering that Carter scored 9,420 points from 403 games across seven seasons in Toronto, it's inarguable that he has earned the jersey retirement. 

However, some within the Raptors organization wanted Kyle Lowry — the franchise leader in assists, steals and three-pointers made — to receive the honor first, per TSN's Josh Lewenberg.

"There were high-ranking members of the organization who maintained that Kyle Lowry should be the first to receive the honor, having spent nearly a decade with the club, been the face of its most successful era, and led it to a championship," wrote Lewenberg.

The report added that the franchise selected Carter in large part because his impending Hall of Fame induction coincides with the Raptors' 30th season in the NBA. Furthermore, the Nets' decision to also retire Carter's jersey reportedly led to the Raptors following suit.  

The Carter pick is understandable. Once dubbed as "Half-Man/Half-Amazing" for his freakish athleticism, Carter essentially put the Raptors on the map in the 1990s, leading them to their first postseason appearance as a sophomore and then to their first playoff series win in his third year in the league. As such, Carter was the first real star player to represent the Raptors, and his pick is a way for the franchise to get nostalgic and honor his contributions to both the organization and the city.  

On the other hand, those who prefer Lowry to receive the honor first have a credible argument. After all, the point guard was a key cog of the team that won the franchise's first title in 2019. Furthermore, Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were instrumental in making the Raptors a perennial Eastern Conference Finals contender through the 2010s, after a large part of their post-Carter era was spent in irrelevancy. 

Typically, active players in the NBA don't have their jerseys retired, save for a few exceptions. Earlier this year, the Warriors retired Klay Thompson's No. 11 jersey on his way out of the franchise. 

One wonders if Lowry, 38, still being an active player factored into the Raptors' decision. Still, there's little doubt that Lowry and DeRozan — the franchise leader in games played and points — will be bestowed with the same honor as Carter once they call it quits in a few years.