Kyle Lowry Calls Dwane Casey '1 of the Best Coaches I've Ever Had' After Firing

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry spoke of Dwane Casey in glowing terms hours after the Raptors fired the head coach on Friday. 

"Case is one of the best coaches I've ever had," Lowry told ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski. "We didn't always see eye to eye, but he let me be me. He was huge for my growth as a man and an NBA player.

"They made a decision, and for me, as leader in the organization, it's my job to support the decision that Masai and GM Bobby [Webster] made."

Lowry and Casey spent the last six seasons together in Toronto. During that stretch, Lowry reached new heights, averaging 17.8 points, 6.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while claiming four All-Star nods and a 2015-16 All-NBA selection. 

And although Casey led the Raptors to a franchise-record 59 wins this season and claimed the National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award, the Raptors decided to move in another direction after they were swept out of the second round by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

"As a team, we are constantly trying to grow and improve in order to get to the next level," Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a statement. "We celebrate everything Dwane has done for the organization, we thank him, and we wish him nothing but the best in future. He was instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team, and we are so proud of that."

The Raptors will now turn their attention toward a head coaching search that may already have a front-runner. 

According to the New York Times' Marc Stein, Ujiri has "strong interest" in former Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer. He added that Casey is "likely to emerge as a contender for one or two of the league's other four vacancies."