Right after Kyle Lowry hoisted the heavy NBA Championship Trophy above his head and flashed a full, wide grin, the hard-working heart of the Raptors said into reporter Doris Burke’s mic, “I play basketball to provide for these two,” gesturing to Karter, 7, and Kameron, 3. He made sure the boys were standing right by his knees, putting a protective hand around their little shoulders or holding their wee hands at all times, conscious of their comfort on that crowded platform. It was a simple but heartfelt statement and gesture, communicating his fatherly urge to love, protect and look after his kids. And in the masculine world of pro-sports, it shone brightly as a beacon of dad goals.

Lowry has kept his boys front and centre throughout his career—there is no doubt that those boys are everywhere their dad is (their mom, Ayahna Cornish-Lowry, always close by). We see Karter walking with his dad into the All-Star game in Charlotte wearing a Balmain T-shirt and little plaid pants; Kameron being hoisted skyward in his dad’s embrace after the game 4 victory, a beautiful moment of pure joy that Lowry wanted to share with his child.

Take a breath and do something good for you. Get the best wellness, health and fitness ideas and more, all in our daily newsletter. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kyle Lowry (@kyle_lowry7) on Feb 20, 2019 at 11:58am PST

As a parent of a small boy (who has an equally loving and engaged dad), it was an image of fatherhood I’d be so happy for my kid, along with legions of young fans—dads, dads-to-be, partners of dads, sons, daughters—to see from their highest sporting idols at the peak of their careers.

Lowry’s not the only Raptor whose fatherhood is central to his life and image. Coach Nick Nurse gave his own victory courtside interview while holding two-year-old Leo, whose ringlets bobbed as he proceeded to casually pick his nose on live television. Nurse also has an older son, Noah, and his third child, Rocky Levi, was born during the playoffs, on May 20, a good luck omen, perhaps.

Last night’s late-game star Fred VanVleet has a 16-month-old daughter, Sanaa, and also welcomed a new baby on May 20, the same day as baby Nurse. Fred Jr. was born in Illinois—his dad flew there to welcome him and back to Toronto for the next game. And it turns out babies are actually good for performance: The statistics show that VanVleet’s play dramatically improved after the birth. He averaged 4 points per game in the first 15 games of the playoffs; it jumped to 15 points on average after the birth. And since May 21, the Raptors have been up 83 points when he was on the floor, the best mark on the team. “It just gives you a little perspective, I guess, on life,” Van Vleet told The Athletic. He added, “just changing the way you’re looking at things and not be so down on yourself about everything, and just come in and enjoy the game.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fred VanVleet (@fredvanvleet) on Aug 22, 2018 at 5:19pm PDT

More Raptors dads include MVP Kawhi Leonard, who is incredibly private about his personal life but is believed to have one child born in 2016 and a son rumoured to have been born in Toronto’s Mt. Sinai hospital in March, making him a Canadian! (More reason for him to stay?) Marc Gasol has spoken to ESPN about living a healthy lifestyle and cooking healthy food to be a good example to his two kids, aged 2 and 4. Raps president Masai Ujiri has a son and a daughter, Zahara, whom he flew back to Toronto right after the big win to celebrate in her tiny graduation cap. And, of course, honorary Raptor Drake confirmed he has a son, Adonis Graham, in lyrics on his 2018 album, Scorpion.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Toronto Raptors (@raptors) on Jun 14, 2019 at 11:15am PDT

But Serge Ibaka has had perhaps the most unusual journey with fatherhood. His 13-year-old daughter, Ranie, was born just after he left Congo for the U.S. at age 17, unbeknownst to him. His own father, who helped raise the child, kept it a secret from him for fear he wouldn’t pursue his basketball career. Ibaka sent for Ranie to live with him in Florida as a preteen, embarking on a life as a single dad, with the help of an NBA-regular nanny. “I know I’m going to give my best,” he told The Undefeated, explaining that he wanted to provide Ranie with a better education in the States. “I’m going to make sure I’m here for her.”

They’re champions now, but they’re dads first, and small kids will no doubt keep them from getting too big for their New Balances. As VanVleet said to reporters last week, “When I come home, they don’t care what happened. 0-7 or we lost or, you know, 25 points, my daughter doesn’t care.”

—with files from Sydney Wilson

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