As a young basketball fan in Philadelphia, Kyle Lowry watched his 76ers battle the Toronto Raptors in a thrilling seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal.

Now the Raptors are hoping the 26-year-old point guard can bring them back to heights they haven't seen in over a decade.

Lowry was introduced along with another new acquisition, swingman Landry Fields, at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday. Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo said they are "giving the keys" to Lowry with hopes that he can become the cornerstone of a young, emerging team.

"This is a great opportunity for myself, for this team to grow, and being given the keys I think I can drive this car to (becoming) a playoff team," Lowry said.

Lowry was acquired last week in a trade with the Houston Rockets that saw forward Gary Forbes and a protected future first-round draft choice go the other way.