Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry is an American professional basketball player and point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Kyle was drafted 24th overall from the NCAA’s Villanova Wildcats in the 2006 NBA Draft and played for the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets before being traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2012 – Canada’s only NBA team.

During his time in Toronto, this six-time NBA All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist firmly established himself as the greatest Toronto Raptors player of all time. In just 9 seasons he led the franchise to their first-ever Atlantic Division title in 2013-2014, their first-ever appearance at the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015-2016, and their first-ever World Championship Title in 2019.

Corbs

Corbs (Corbin Portillo) is a Toronto Artist who specializes in digital illustration with 10+ years experience working with an array of professional brands and athletes.

His passion for the game started in 95, when he was 8 years old and the Toronto Raptors had their inaugural season. Today, he’s well known for his unique and colourful surrealism-collage illustrations that pull heavily from the inspiration and influence of his basketball upbringing.

Learn more about Corbs here.

In The News

Through My Eyes

“It was important for me to give this opportunity to a local, Canadian, artist. Corbs is an artist, a fan, and represents everything that makes Toronto and this country amazing.”

– Kyle Lowry

Six-time NBA All-Star, Kyle Lowry, comes together with Canadian illustrator and digital artist, Corbs (Corbin Portillo), to collaborate on a unique NFT collection centered around the 2019 Championship Parade. “Through My Eyes” seamlessly weaves Corbs’ signature colourful surrealism with Kyle’s thoughtful reflections of seven defining moments throughout parade day to create this seven piece collection.

“It showed the unity of a nation, of the human race. It just showed everyone being together at one point, and it was a time and a period that we just lived and had fun and enjoyed those moments…

It was something where it was like, OK, all these things I’m putting together are truly a culmination of one day. It happened through time but one day put it together.”

– Kyle Lowry

In addition to the digital art being purchased, some NFTs will include a smart contract attached to it that outlines additional value with the purchase, i.e. autographed memorabilia, virtual meet and greets, etc

Learn more details about the Through My Eyes collection here.

The Journey
“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey”

I saw Kyle’s parade day sunglasses as the perfect graphic device to honor his basketball journey. From his red childhood home on 20th & Lehigh in Philadelphia, to his time as a Wildcat. It all led to parade day – where he held the coveted Championship trophy on top of a red double-decker bus as they cruised through Princes’ Gates and the fan-swarmed streets of downtown Toronto.

-CORBIN PORTILLO

Editions: Open Limited Edition
Pricing: $300

*This is a limited edition artwork with a 24 hour clock. Once the set quantity of 150 is sold (within that window) a 15 min clock is triggered for an open window. Total editions sold will be determined by amount purchased within that window.

**The top collector of this artwork (most editions purchased) will receive a signed physical print of this artwork and a signed Kyle Lowry jersey

Best Fans In The World
From the BC mountains, to “The 6”, and all the way out to PEI’s shorelines, this team has the best fans in the world. Looking at the culminating moment of the parade from Kyle’s point of view – the rally at Nathan Phillips Square – I wanted to capture the overwhelming support he felt. From the sea of fans below, to the jam-packed overpass above, everyone was showing love and support through screams, flags, and signs.

-CORBIN PORTILLO

Editions: Open Limited Edition
Pricing: $300

*This is a limited edition artwork with a 24 hour clock. Once the set quantity of 150 is sold (within that window) a 15 min clock is triggered for an open window. Total editions sold will be determined by amount purchased within that window.

**The top collector of this artwork (most editions purchased) will receive a signed physical print of this artwork and a signed Kyle Lowry jersey

The North
O, Canada! Canadian red and white is accented with the infamous OVO black and gold to bring to life the attitude of The North. Here, contemporary Canadian icons, Lowry and Drake, are juxtaposed to historic Canadian elements like Canada geese and maple leaves, all composed within a chevron frame, pointing North. Canada’s ten provinces and three territories are represented through minimal and simplified graphic flags.

-CORBIN PORTILLO

Editions: Open Limited Edition
Pricing: $99

*This is a limited edition artwork where the total # of editions will be determined by the total editions purchased during the Drop during a 48 hour period.

**The top collector of this artwork (most editions purchased) will receive a signed physical print of this artwork and 15 minute virtual meet and greet with Kyle Lowry

***The top 7 collectors of this artwork (most editions purchased) will receive a signed Kyle Lowry jersey

Teammates
Lowry is, and has always been, team-first. The blueprint background represents his teammates, who are the blueprint to the person and player he has become. Wildcat claws, Grizzly skulls, a rocket taking off, and the dinosaur teeth weave with colour-blocked paper rips and unique graphic elements to represent the different teammates Kyle has played with at Villanova and in Memphis, Houston, and Toronto.

-CORBIN PORTILLO

Editions: 10
Pricing: Editions 1 for $7, Edition 2 for $70, Edition 3-9 for $700. The 10th edition will be auctioned.

*The owner of the final edition will receive a signed physical print of this artwork

The Impact
Kyle is all about leaving a legacy. In this design, I used a gold ball and the Xs & Os to symbolize the passing of his playbook of knowledge and experience down to the young people that will follow him. Shadows are used to represent the next generation as they look towards continuous arches expressing endless opportunities ahead.

-CORBIN PORTILLO

Editions: 10
Pricing: Editions 1 for $7, Edition 2 for $70, Edition 3-9 for $700. The 10th edition will be auctioned.

*The owner of the final edition will receive a signed physical print of this artwork

Inspiration
The past inspires the future. This design layers the team’s jerseys from different eras to honour the Toronto players that came before Lowry – particularly “Mighty Mouse”, Damon Stoudamire. The playing card references the ‘King’ and the two crowns and two gold balls represent Kyle’s two young “Kings” – his sons Karter and Kam.

-CORBIN PORTILLO

Editions: 10
Pricing: Editions 1 for $7, Edition 2 for $70, Edition 3-9 for $700. The 10th edition will be auctioned.

*The owner of the final edition will receive a signed physical print of this artwork

Grateful
The holy grail. This one of one, ultra-rare, NFT brings together the designs of the entire collection, summarizes Lowry’s historic career, and was inspired by the iconic bling of the championship ring.

– The 15 small stars at the top represent his 15 seasons in the league
– The 6 larger stars represent his all-star game selections
– The left side represents the USA, his Olympic gold medal, and the skyline of his hometown, Philadelphia
– The right side represents Canada, his championship, and the Toronto skyline

-CORBIN PORTILLO

Editions: One
Pricing: Accepting Offers Only

*The winner of this auction will receive a signed game-worn Kyle Lowry shoe displayed in a video case and a 15 minute virtual meet and greet with Kyle Lowry.

Get in Touch

If you’re a digital creator, you can learn more about MakersPlace here.

Ready to start your rare digital art collection? Join here.

Follow us on DiscordTwitterMediumInstagramFacebook and Pinterest.MakersPlace

Leave a Reply