{"id":5279463,"date":"2022-01-26T08:36:38","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T13:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/?post_type=sn-bigreads&#038;p=5279463"},"modified":"2022-01-26T10:46:15","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T15:46:15","slug":"how-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite","status":"publish","type":"sn-bigreads","link":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/nba\/longform\/how-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite\/","title":{"rendered":"How Fred VanVleet claimed his place among the NBA&#8217;s elite"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"block_61f01b81fc7d1\" class=\"br-header__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-logo\"><\/div>\n    <div class=\"br-header-inner\">\n        <div class=\"br-info-block top\">\n            <h1 class=\"br-title\">BORN TO LEAD<\/h1>\n            <div class=\"br-author\">By <a data-an-category=\"Article Author Link\" data-an-action=\"Click\" data-an-opt-label=\"Michael Grange-Michael Grange (16034)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/author\/michael-grange\/\" class=\"coauthor-profile-link\" rel=\"author\">Michael Grange<\/a> <\/div>\n            <div class=\"br-photographer\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"br-hero-container\">\n            <div class=\"br-read-duration top\"><\/div>\n                            <div class=\"br-hero-image\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Big-Read-Fred-VanVleet-Leadership-Header.jpg\">\n                <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n        <div class=\"br-info-block-cont-mobile\">\n            <div class=\"br-logo mobile\"><\/div>\n            <div class=\"br-info-block mobile\">\n                <div class=\"br-title\">BORN TO LEAD<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"sponsorship-badge-placeholder\"><\/div>\n        <div class=\"br-excerpt\">Tasked with replacing Kyle Lowry this season, Fred VanVleet saw two options: shy away or lean in. He chose the latter, and then went and claimed his place among the league&#8217;s best<\/div>\n    <div class=\"br-info-block credits mobile\">\n        <div class=\"br-author mobile\">By <a data-an-category=\"Article Author Link\" data-an-action=\"Click\" data-an-opt-label=\"Michael Grange-Michael Grange (16034)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/author\/michael-grange\/\" class=\"coauthor-profile-link\" rel=\"author\">Michael Grange<\/a> <\/div>\n        <div class=\"br-photographer mobile\"><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"br-read-duration mobile\"><\/div>\n    <div class=\"btn-social-group-wrapper\">\n        <ul class=\"btn-social-group btn-social-group-xs\">\n        <li><a data-an-category=\"Sharing - Social Media\" data-an-action=\"Buttons\" data-an-opt-label=\"Facebook\" class=\"btn-social-facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsnet.ca%2Fnba%2Flongform%2Fhow-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite%2F\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/li>\n    \n        <li><a data-an-category=\"Sharing - Social Media\" data-an-action=\"Buttons\" data-an-opt-label=\"Twitter\" class=\"btn-social-twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsnet.ca%2Fnba%2Flongform%2Fhow-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite%2F&#038;text=How%20Fred%20VanVleet%20claimed%20his%20place%20among%20the%20NBA%E2%80%99s%20elite @Sportsnet &#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsnet.ca%2Fnba%2Flongform%2Fhow-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite%2F\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/li>\n    \n    \n        <li><a data-an-category=\"Sharing - Social Media\" data-an-action=\"Buttons\" data-an-opt-label=\"Reddit\" class=\"btn-social-reddit\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsnet.ca%2Fnba%2Flongform%2Fhow-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite%2F&#038;title=How%20Fred%20VanVleet%20claimed%20his%20place%20among%20the%20NBA%E2%80%99s%20elite\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/li>\n    \n        <li><a data-an-category=\"Sharing - 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He wasn\u2019t even convinced he\u2019d done anything worth apologizing for. Those closest to Fred VanVleet felt otherwise, and their evidence was overwhelming. There was no ignoring that the point guard\u2019s teammate at Auburn High School, Jaylin Marshall, was lying in a hospital bed with rib injuries and a collapsed lung. It was also clear who had put him there, and if the outcome wasn\u2019t intentional, the event wasn\u2019t an accident either.<\/p>\n<p>Things had gotten heated at one of head coach Bryan Ott\u2019s varsity practices, which was not unusual. Ott built teams that punched above their weight because they played with a trademark intensity and toughness, and he had the banners hanging on the walls to prove the benefit of his approach. For example, one of the ways Ott determined who was willing to buy in was the \u2018take-the-charge drill\u2019, no fancy nickname required. \u201cThe nature of that drill is that you&#8217;re on the baseline and I&#8217;m standing at the elbow,\u201d says Ott, who is now in his 23<sup>rd<\/sup> year at Auburn, one of four public high schools in Rockford, Illinois, a hard-edged city of roughly 150,000 about 90 minutes west of Chicago. \u201cYou got the ball in your hand, I got to stand there and your job is to run me over. \u2026 It&#8217;s not to graze me, it&#8217;s not to go half speed. It&#8217;s to go full speed. Dribble the ball in your outside hand and hit me as hard as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01c01fc7d2 .br-drop_cap_paragraph .firstcharacter {\n\tcolor: #ce1141;\n\tfloat: left;\n\tfont-size: 120px;\n\tfont-weight: 800;\n\tline-height: 80px;\n\tfont-family: urw-din;\n\tmargin-right:6px; \n\ttext-transform: uppercase; \n }\n@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {\n\t#block_61f01c01fc7d2 .br-drop_cap_paragraph .firstcharacter {\n\t\tfont-size: 86px;\n\t}\n}\n\n #block_61f01c01fc7d2  .br-drop_cap_paragraph p {\n\tline-height: 32px;\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tfont-size: 20px;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"br-body\">\n<div class=\"br-big_box_ad_label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div id=\"bigbox_block_61f01c9afc7d3_1\" class=\"br-big_box_ad__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-big_box_ad\"><\/div>\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            if (\"undefined\" !== typeof adUtility) { \n            \tconsole.log(\"ADUTILITY bigbox_block_61f01c9afc7d3_1\");\n                adUtility.insertAd(\"bigbox_block_61f01c9afc7d3_1\", { type: adUtility._AD_BIGBOX, adPath: adUnitPath, targeting: adTargets() });\n            }\n        <\/script>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f01c9efc7d4\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>It follows that Ott wasn\u2019t a big believer in a tight whistle during practices or scrimmages. The logic: If you can play through contact in rehearsal, you have a better chance of doing it when the curtain goes up. On this occasion, Ott had loaded up one team against VanVleet, a rising local star as a sophomore. The press was on, big swipes at the ball were encouraged, and 15-year-old VanVleet was getting the worst of it. \u201cFred was getting frustrated. We\u2019re locking him up, fouling \u2013 Coach Ott let us get away with some hacking,\u201d says JD Danforth, VanVleet\u2019s stepbrother and a senior and the leading scorer that year. \u201cWe&#8217;re sending Fred down the sideline to trap him, and I think we made him turn it over maybe like two or three times in a row, so he was just pissed off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That much VanVleet will cop to 12 year later. \u201cIt was getting bad one day,\u201d he says. \u201cWe had to run for every drill we lost, and we were running and losing, running and losing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01c9efc7d4 .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"pull-quote-container\">\n\t<div id=\"block_61f01cb9fc7d5\" class=\"br-pull_quote_text__cont\">\n\t\t<div class=\"br-pull_quote_text br-body\">\n\t\t&#8220;What I like about Fred is he doesn\u2019t back down. I\u2019m one of the biggest Fred VanVleet fans there is.&#8221;\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f01cccfc7d6\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>What happened next is a bit blurry, but everyone can agree the trap came, the ball got jarred loose and Jaylin Marshall happened to be in the way, so VanVleet lowered his shoulder and went right through him. It was the charge drill, but the only one participating was VanVleet, and he wasn\u2019t the one standing at the elbow, waiting to take the hit. Marshall went flying and landed in obvious pain. Even by the standards of Auburn basketball, this was a little extra. Ott says it was so flagrant that he immediately grabbed VanVleet by the jersey to forcefully make his point. VanVleet\u2019s stepfather, Joe Danforth, a Rockford police officer and an assistant coach to Ott, laid into him too.<\/p>\n<p>But VanVleet wasn\u2019t immediately moved. The Raptors point guard didn\u2019t think he\u2019d done anything wrong. Even after Marshall\u2019s injuries were deemed serious enough that he needed to go to the hospital, VanVleet was slow to take responsibility. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to apologize,\u201d he says. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel bad.\u201d Those who only know VanVleet as a professional may have a hard time imagining him losing control and subsequently being so cold about it. But just as he needed to improve his finishing at the rim and his ability to shoot from well beyond the three-point line, it took time and work for him to grow as a leader and teammate. \u201cThe same emotions are still there,\u201d VanVleet says of his youthful hotheadedness. \u201cI just channel it and take a deep breath and let things play out. [Calmer] heads prevail sometimes. I learned that as time went on. I\u2019m still the same kid from back then, believe it or not, just some of those things aren\u2019t acceptable anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01cccfc7d6 .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_61f01d16fc7d7\" class=\"br-image-column-width__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-image-column-width\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Big-Read-Fred-VanVleet-Leadership-Brakes.jpg\">\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"br-image-column-width-description\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"drop-cap-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f01d55fc7d8\" class=\"br-drop_cap_paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-drop_cap_paragraph br-body\">\n            <p>\n                <span class=\"firstcharacter\">V<\/span>\n                anVleet\u2019s passion comes across more calculated and driven than on-the-boil these days, but his stubborn self-belief remains his trademark. It has never let him down and is as much a reason for his evolution from undrafted college senior to one of the best point guards in basketball as his skill or hoops IQ. It\u2019s why at some point soon, VanVleet will become an NBA All-Star. That\u2019s something that could and certainly should happen on Feb. 3, when the Eastern Conference reserves are announced. The Raptors guard has been on the cusp for a couple of years now and could have gotten the nod last season, but given Toronto was lottery bound he was easier for coaches to pass over in the tight contest for the maximum of six backcourt spots available in each conference. The other challenge was that as long as Kyle Lowry was a Raptor, it was going to be hard for VanVleet to get his full shine. But when Lowry left for Miami last summer, centre stage opened, and VanVleet stepped into the light, on and off the court, leaving the doubts to everyone else.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think going into [the season] it was just big shoes to fill,\u201d VanVleet says. \u201cAnd there&#8217;s two things you can do with that pressure and that weight: shy away from it or lean into it. And that was something that we definitely talked about is the added expectations and extra weight that will be on me as the point guard \u2014 and not only the point guard but replacing the Greatest Raptor of All Time\u2026. I try to get better every year, but this year was a little extra motivation, given the fact that Kyle was leaving for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Through the first half of the Raptors&#8217; first post-Lowry season, things couldn\u2019t have gone better for his prot\u00e9g\u00e9. After 41 games, VanVleet averaged 21.9 points and 6.7 assists a game while making 3.9 threes per \u2014 a line that puts him in the company of only the Golden State Warriors\u2019 Steph Curry. If he keeps it rolling, VanVleet could join Curry and Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden as the only players in league history to make at least 300 triples in a season, and could surpass Lowry\u2019s signature 2015\u201316 when No. 7 earned All-NBA honours for averaging 21.1 points, 6.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds. Add in VanVleet\u2019s deserved reputation as one of the league\u2019s best defenders, his status as the NBA leader in minutes per game and the way he has helped keep the Raptors firmly in the playoff hunt despite an endless procession of injuries to an already paper-thin rotation and the point guard\u2019s leap from undrafted to the league\u2019s elite is complete.<\/p>\n            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01d55fc7d8 .br-drop_cap_paragraph .firstcharacter {\n\tcolor: #ce1141;\n\tfloat: left;\n\tfont-size: 120px;\n\tfont-weight: 800;\n\tline-height: 80px;\n\tfont-family: urw-din;\n\tmargin-right:6px; \n\ttext-transform: uppercase; \n }\n@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {\n\t#block_61f01d55fc7d8 .br-drop_cap_paragraph .firstcharacter {\n\t\tfont-size: 86px;\n\t}\n}\n\n #block_61f01d55fc7d8  .br-drop_cap_paragraph p {\n\tline-height: 32px;\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tfont-size: 20px;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"pull-quote-container\">\n\t<div id=\"block_61f01ddffc7d9\" class=\"br-pull_quote_text__cont\">\n\t\t<div class=\"br-pull_quote_text br-body\">\n\t\t&#8220;You never had to coach courage into Fred VanVleet and you never had to coach smarts into him either \u2014 or toughness.&#8221;\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f01df2fc7da\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>\u201cFred is a dog, man,\u201d says Chris Paul, the Hall of Fame-bound Phoenix Suns point guard who VanVleet has modelled parts of game after. \u201cWhat I like about Fred is he doesn\u2019t back down. I play with a chip on my shoulder, he plays with a chip on his shoulder. I\u2019ve always respected that about Fred. Not only is he nice [offensively], but he plays both ways. I\u2019m one of the biggest Fred VanVleet fans there is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Or as New Orleans Pelicans centre and former Raptor Jonas Valanciunas puts it, \u201cHe took Kyle Lowry\u2019s spot now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course \u2014 like Lowry \u2014 statistics only begin to capture VanVleet\u2019s overall value to a team.<\/p>\n<p>His leadership is a key part of what he brings to the table, and filled a void following Lowry\u2019s departure. VanVleet had long ago auditioned for the role \u2014\u00a0 he was discussing game plans with the Raptors coaching staff when he was a rookie playing most of his minutes in the G-League, and emerged as the face of what was then the Raptors\u2019 young core soon after. Even with Lowry around, VanVleet carved out space for himself. The final word rested with the sometimes prickly vet, but a lot of the space in between was occupied by VanVleet, his thoughtful understudy. \u201cKyle would pick-and-choose his spots and he\u2019d get upset about certain things,\u201d says VanVleet. \u201cI probably talked a little bit more than Kyle; he was more lead by example and speak when he had to.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01df2fc7da .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"br-body\">\n<div class=\"br-big_box_ad_label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div id=\"bigbox_block_61f01e26fc7db_2\" class=\"br-big_box_ad__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-big_box_ad\"><\/div>\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            if (\"undefined\" !== typeof adUtility) { \n            \tconsole.log(\"ADUTILITY bigbox_block_61f01e26fc7db_2\");\n                adUtility.insertAd(\"bigbox_block_61f01e26fc7db_2\", { type: adUtility._AD_BIGBOX, adPath: adUnitPath, targeting: adTargets() });\n            }\n        <\/script>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f01e2afc7dc\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>The added responsibilities came easily for VanVleet. His best sport growing up was football, though he hung up his pads after eighth grade. He played all over the field, fulfilling whatever role was required, showing all the attributes back then that Raptors fans would recognize now. \u201cYou never had to coach courage into Fred VanVleet and you never had to coach smarts into him either \u2014 or toughness,\u201d says Bill Flodin, who ran the Nelson Storm football program in Rockford for 20 years. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t the most talented kid we had, but he always made plays, just like he is now. He\u2019s been that way his whole damn life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was never ever any question who the point guard was when he started taking basketball more seriously. And there was never any doubt who the team captain would be either. \u201cEarly as I can remember, I was always next to the coaches trying to pick their brains and just learn how to be the best at the craft,\u201d VanVleet says. One sport he never played seriously a kid was baseball, in part, he says, because he was never the best player and so the leadership opportunities weren\u2019t there. Without that, he wasn\u2019t interested.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the first thing that you have to say about Fred \u2014 even though he&#8217;s a smaller guy or whatever \u2014 is his presence when he walks in a room is very noticeable,\u201d says Landry Shamet, who was a freshman at Wichita State when VanVleet was a senior and finishing up the best four-year run any player had ever had at the school. \u201cHe\u2019s not arrogant, but from the get-go, you paid attention and he was the person you looked to \u2018Where is our group going? What are we doing?\u2019 Without him even having to say anything, that was the most noticeable thing, just his presence, even before he said a word.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s always been thus. \u201cHe could get any group of guys to follow his lead, that\u2019s his best quality,\u201d says Danforth, his stepbrother.<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01e2afc7dc .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_61f01e57fc7dd\" class=\"br-related-links__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-related-links br-body\">\n        <div class=\"br-related-links-heading\">More from Sportsnet<\/div>\n        <div class=\"br-related-links-wrapper\">\n            <a data-an-category=\"Clicks - \" data-an-action=\"-related-links-pos-1\" data-an-opt-label=\"Raptors&#039; VanVleet, Siakam move up again in third All-Star vote returns\" class=\"br-related-links-container first featured-link related-links-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/nba\/article\/raptors-vanvleet-siakam-move-third-star-vote-returns\/\">\n                <div class=\"related-links-container-inner\">\n                    <div class=\"br-related-links-thumbnail first\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/CP146709255.JPG-640x360.png\" class=\"attachment-sn-article-featured-img size-sn-article-featured-img wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" \/>                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"br-related-links-title first\">\n                        Raptors&#8217; VanVleet, Siakam move up again in third All-Star vote returns                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a>\n            <a data-an-category=\"Clicks - \" data-an-action=\"-related-links-pos-2\" data-an-opt-label=\"Dwane Casey: Fred VanVleet is &#039;clone of Kyle,&#039; deserves All-Star nod\" class=\"br-related-links-container second featured-link related-links-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/nba\/article\/dwane-casey-fred-vanvleet-clone-kyle-deserves-star-nod\/\">\n                <div class=\"related-links-container-inner\">\n                    <div class=\"br-related-links-thumbnail second\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Fred-640x360.jpg\" class=\"attachment-sn-article-featured-img size-sn-article-featured-img wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" \/>                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"br-related-links-title second\">\n                        Dwane Casey: Fred VanVleet is &#8216;clone of Kyle,&#8217; deserves All-Star nod                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f01e8cfc7de\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>It\u2019s not a quality that VanVleet can put a finger on. It\u2019s like someone trying to explain why they\u2019re left-handed or have green eyes. \u201cI\u2019ve been one my whole life,\u201d he says. \u201cWith my family I\u2019m a leader; in sports. I\u2019m not perfect but it\u2019s just something that\u2019s been natural to me since I was a little boy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But that doesn\u2019t mean he hasn\u2019t evolved or grown, that his leadership style didn\u2019t needed to keep up with the needs of the moment, the same way his basketball skills have. VanVleet may have been a born leader, but it doesn\u2019t mean he was born a fully formed one. The real problem with him putting his teammate in the hospital? It wasn\u2019t an isolated storm rising up from a typically placid sea. By his own admission, a youthful VanVleet was a bit of jerk, and sometimes more than that. Why did VanVleet give up football, his first love? \u201cOur high school team sucked at the time,\u201d his mother, Susan, says. \u201cSo he was like, \u2018I was such an ass to people that I&#8217;m not giving them the opportunity to crack me on the football field. I&#8217;m going to stick with basketball.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01e8cfc7de .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_61f01ea4fc7df\" class=\"br-image-full-width__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-image-full-width\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Big-Read-Fred-VanVleet-Leadership-Huddle.jpg\">\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"br-image-full-width-description\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"drop-cap-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f01ee8fc7e0\" class=\"br-drop_cap_paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-drop_cap_paragraph br-body\">\n            <p>\n                <span class=\"firstcharacter\">V<\/span>\n                anVleet\u2019s story as an emerging NBA All-Star is all about overcoming the odds as an undrafted, undersized point guard. His is the underdog who made good, and it\u2019s inspirational and heartwarming and true. It\u2019s given him credibility around the Raptors and around the NBA. A lot of teams try to preach to incoming players the importance of accepting a role and how the magic dust of player development can pay dividends over the long haul. The Raptors can simply point to Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and VanVleet \u2014 a pair of late first-round picks and stocky point guard who wasn\u2019t drafted \u2014 all under contract for a combined $300 million and say, \u201cSee?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But that wasn\u2019t VanVleet\u2019s story in Rockford. He was the best player his age for miles around. He played significant minutes as a freshman on a varsity team positioned to make a run at a state championship. He was installed as the starting point guard in Grade 10 and was widely held to be the next big thing in local basketball. His cup was filled to the brim with swagger, and then some. \u201cI remember Fred was in middle school,\u201d recalls JD Danforth, \u201cand one of our friends was just asking who [Fred] thought he was better than, just around Rockford. And every time he brought up someone Fred would say: \u2018I&#8217;m better than him. I\u2019m easily better than him. I could beat him.\u2019 So, then my friend started bringing up NBA players. He was like, \u2018Now, are you better than such-and-such?\u2019 And Fred was like, \u2018Yeah. I&#8217;m better than him right now.\u2019 \u2018How about Iverson? Can you beat Allen Iverson?\u2019 And he was like, \u2018Yeah, I could beat Allen Iverson. \u2026 I guarantee you I could beat Allen Iverson.\u2019<\/p>\n            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01ee8fc7e0 .br-drop_cap_paragraph .firstcharacter {\n\tcolor: #ce1141;\n\tfloat: left;\n\tfont-size: 120px;\n\tfont-weight: 800;\n\tline-height: 80px;\n\tfont-family: urw-din;\n\tmargin-right:6px; \n\ttext-transform: uppercase; \n }\n@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {\n\t#block_61f01ee8fc7e0 .br-drop_cap_paragraph .firstcharacter {\n\t\tfont-size: 86px;\n\t}\n}\n\n #block_61f01ee8fc7e0  .br-drop_cap_paragraph p {\n\tline-height: 32px;\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tfont-size: 20px;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"pull-quote-container\">\n\t<div id=\"block_61f01f12fc7e1\" class=\"br-pull_quote_text__cont\">\n\t\t<div class=\"br-pull_quote_text br-body\">\n\t\t&#8220;\u2018How about Iverson? Can you beat Allen Iverson?\u2019 And he was like, \u2018Yeah, I could beat Allen Iverson. I guarantee you I could beat Allen Iverson.\u2019&#8221;\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f01f26fc7e2\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>\u201c[Fred] was just a kid, but the way he was saying it &#8212; if you looked at his body language and you heard it, he really believed it. Like he for real believed it, and he was only 12, 13. But that&#8217;s just how Fred\u2019s mind works though,\u201d says Danforth. \u201cThere ain&#8217;t no doubt with him. If he says \u2018I could do that,\u2019 that&#8217;s just what it is. That&#8217;s how he\u2019s always been.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The challenge was integrating that confidence and that ability and the head space that came from tagging along with his older brothers and then relating to peers that weren\u2019t as good or mature or \u2014 in his mind \u2014 as committed to the cause. \u201cMy emotions weren\u2019t always directed in the best way,\u201d VanVleet says. \u201cI was a young teenager that was working out multiple hours a day, which was unheard of back then. \u2026 It\u2019s hard to find young kids at that age who were taking it as serious as I was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Translation: \u201cHe had to learn how to just not bully his teammates, basically,\u201d says Danforth, who went on to play Division I basketball and is VanVleet\u2019s partner in a skills training business today. \u201cHe was really hard on guys who weren&#8217;t on his level. So if, you know, guys are missing shots or layups, he would really get on them to the point where they might not play their best basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01f26fc7e2 .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"br-body\">\n<div class=\"br-big_box_ad_label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div id=\"bigbox_block_61f01f41fc7e3_3\" class=\"br-big_box_ad__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-big_box_ad\"><\/div>\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            if (\"undefined\" !== typeof adUtility) { \n            \tconsole.log(\"ADUTILITY bigbox_block_61f01f41fc7e3_3\");\n                adUtility.insertAd(\"bigbox_block_61f01f41fc7e3_3\", { type: adUtility._AD_BIGBOX, adPath: adUnitPath, targeting: adTargets() });\n            }\n        <\/script>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f01f47fc7e4\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>Injuring his teammate was the most extreme example, but it wasn\u2019t the only time VanVleet crossed lines. For Susan, her youngest was a source of joy as she worked to keep things on track as a single mother of two boys after their father, Fred Manning, was killed in a shooting when VanVleet was five. He was a good student and an excellent athlete and rarely got in trouble. Parent-teacher interviews were good days.<\/p>\n<p>But when it came to sports \u2014 and basketball especially \u2014 once in a while the temperature would get turned up and VanVleet\u2019s passion would boil over and his mom would start looking for a place to hide. \u201cI think of some those \u2018proud parent\u2019 moments in the bleachers. When your kid is out there yelling [expletives], and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh God,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cThere were a lot of \u2018How could you have done that differently?\u2019 conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was a process.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was a real serious child, an observer, and very thoughtful,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd so he flourished in that leadership role really early, but he didn&#8217;t always do it well. We had to sit and really talk. There&#8217;s such a fine line between being a leader and being assertive, and being a jerk. And so just manoeuvring him in his life through those moments could be challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It took a village. His stepfather, Joe, was a taskmaster, the driving force behind early morning workouts at the YMCA, summer AAU basketball and a long list of household chores. Those that know VanVleet say that sophomore year of high school was transitional. \u201cFred did a great job of running the offence and distributing the basketball,\u201d says Ott. \u201cI think the leadership struggles came where we were maybe not playing very well, and the manner in which he would get in guys\u2019 faces or get on them wasn\u2019t very healthy most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01f47fc7e4 .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"pull-quote-container\">\n\t<div id=\"block_61f01f87fc7e5\" class=\"br-pull_quote_text__cont\">\n\t\t<div class=\"br-pull_quote_text br-body\">\n\t\t&#8220;Dude is a raw leader. He gave you all the confidence in the world, for real. Playing with Fred was the best experience ever. It was so fun.&#8221;\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f01f96fc7e6\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>Marshall was a target at times, even beyond when VanVleet injured him, but so was a good friend, LaMark Foote. Foote played AAU with VanVleet, came off the bench as a sophomore for Auburn, started as a junior and co-starred on a senior team that was one of the most accomplished in Rockford history, finishing third in Illinois in 2012. In the seasons before that strong result, though, VanVleet\u2019s criticism was harsh enough and constant enough that Ott wondered if it would cause things to unravel. \u201cLaMark would come back to the bench and say to me, \u2018Coach, he&#8217;s not going to talk to me like that, man.\u2019 I mean, really, really frustrated with Fred, and they were buddies and played AAU together, but Fred would be on him in a way that LaMark couldn&#8217;t tolerate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It took some patience from all involved, and long talks with his stepfather and Susan. The message was simple: You can\u2019t lead anyone if they don\u2019t want to play with you. \u201cAfter that sophomore season \u2014 and he played great that year; he killed it \u2014 but his junior and senior years, you started to see that change, he started interacting more,\u201d says JD Danforth. \u201cYou started to see him smile more. He started showing more emotion, interacting with his teammates, lifting them up a little bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That senior team provided a glimpse into what has become familiar to Raptors fans. \u201cHaving Fred be the voice of the team brought everyone together. He stands behind everything he talks about [and] that brings loyalty,\u201d says Elijah Smith, one of VanVleet\u2019s high school teammates. \u201cHe took the pressure off everybody and made it easy for all of us to play. Dude is a raw leader. He gave you all the confidence in the world, for real. Playing with Fred was the best experience ever. It was so fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f01f96fc7e6 .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_61f01fb6fc7e7\" class=\"br-image-column-width__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-image-column-width\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Big-Read-Fred-VanVleet-Leadership-Layup.jpg\">\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"br-image-column-width-description\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"drop-cap-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f02009fc7e8\" class=\"br-drop_cap_paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-drop_cap_paragraph br-body\">\n            <p>\n                <span class=\"firstcharacter\">T<\/span>\n                here was nothing casual about the pickup games at Charles Koch Arena. The entire Wichita State Shockers lineup was there, as was Malcolm Armstead, a red-shirted senior transfer from the University of Oregon. Stepping on the floor for the first time was the school\u2019s prized recruit, a point guard from Rockford who was on his official visit and already making his presence felt. Fred VanVleet was more than holding his own; he was kicking ass. Armstead had spent a year in junior college, another two at Oregon and a sit-out year at Wichita before he teamed up with VanVleet. Armstead was five years older but was quickly impressed. \u201cA regular freshmen is just more excited to be there; they&#8217;re trying to see where they fit in,\u201d says Armstead, who is playing professionally in Greece this season. \u201cBut Fred, [even in that first pick-up game] was like \u2018I&#8217;m gonna be the man. Even if we lose, we&#8217;re not gonna lose because of me.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was like, \u2018You got to come here.\u2019\u201d continues Armstead, one of VanVleet\u2019s hosts on the visit. \u201cEven the juniors and seniors there, I was coming from a high major so they wouldn\u2019t challenge me \u2014 they would just try to guard me, if that makes sense. But Fred felt like he was my equal and I respected him and I connected with him more than almost anyone else on that team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The next season \u2014 VanVleet\u2019s freshman year in 2012\u201313 \u2014 ended up being the most successful ever for the Shockers, finishing up with a run to the Final Four for the first time in school history. Just as VanVleet would with Lowry and other more senior players early in his Raptors career, the freshman guard quickly gained the respect of veterans and coaches alike at Wichita State. \u201cHe was a freshman on paper, but on the court, I would literally trust him [with the ball] like I had the ball,\u201d says Armstead.<\/p>\n            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f02009fc7e8 .br-drop_cap_paragraph .firstcharacter {\n\tcolor: #ce1141;\n\tfloat: left;\n\tfont-size: 120px;\n\tfont-weight: 800;\n\tline-height: 80px;\n\tfont-family: urw-din;\n\tmargin-right:6px; \n\ttext-transform: uppercase; \n }\n@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {\n\t#block_61f02009fc7e8 .br-drop_cap_paragraph .firstcharacter {\n\t\tfont-size: 86px;\n\t}\n}\n\n #block_61f02009fc7e8  .br-drop_cap_paragraph p {\n\tline-height: 32px;\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tfont-size: 20px;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"pull-quote-container\">\n\t<div id=\"block_61f02032fc7e9\" class=\"br-pull_quote_text__cont\">\n\t\t<div class=\"br-pull_quote_text br-body\">\n\t\t&#8220;It&#8217;s always been known that he has been on his way and destined for greater things.&#8221;\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f02043fc7ea\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>And VanVleet, the former the Auburn High School star once prone to wearing his teammates out, became a calming presence who could keep even a fifth-year senior like Armstead on task. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019d do something crazy, and he\u2019d be like, \u2018Come on, wait, slow down.\u2019 He would come talk to me during the game \u2026 so for me to even have that was special,\u201d says Armstead. \u201cI\u2019d be talking trash and trying get myself going and [Fred] would be like, \u2018Nah, man, just hoop, leave it alone.\u2019 He would keep me engaged with what we were doing. \u2026 It was just a different level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2013\u201314, VanVleet\u2019s first season as a starter, the Shockers had what was then the longest undefeated streak to start to a season in Division I history, before losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament to finish 35\u20131. VanVleet was establishing himself as a star, even earning an invite to Chris Paul\u2019s Nike camp. But he had a new leadership challenge.<\/p>\n<p>Playing for then-Shockers head coach Gregg Marshall was a tumultuous experience, and not for everyone. The most successful coach in school history resigned prior to the 2020\u201321 season after an internal investigation into multiple allegations of physical and verbal abuse. Holding his teammates accountable was always something VanVleet was going to do, but in a circumstance where the head coach was credibly accused of punching a player during practice, among other allegations, his role became to support teammates who felt Marshall\u2019s wrath. \u201cI had to be the calming voice,\u201d he says. \u201cCoach Marshall, he set the tone. He was the bad guy and he let the team bond over that, so we were all kind of close because Coach was such a hard-ass on all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f02043fc7ea .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"br-body\">\n<div class=\"br-big_box_ad_label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div id=\"bigbox_block_61f0205ffc7eb_4\" class=\"br-big_box_ad__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-big_box_ad\"><\/div>\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            if (\"undefined\" !== typeof adUtility) { \n            \tconsole.log(\"ADUTILITY bigbox_block_61f0205ffc7eb_4\");\n                adUtility.insertAd(\"bigbox_block_61f0205ffc7eb_4\", { type: adUtility._AD_BIGBOX, adPath: adUnitPath, targeting: adTargets() });\n            }\n        <\/script>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f02062fc7ec\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>VanVleet was well-equipped to handle Marshall\u2019s approach in part because it wasn\u2019t entirely new to him. \u201cIt\u2019s how we grew up,\u201d says JD. \u201cMy dad was very strict and very tough on us. He yelled and cussed us out a lot. Even Coach Ott was similar to my dad. So, Fred was used to hard-nosed coaches jumping your ass all the time about playing hard and calling you out and maybe even calling out your name and all of that stuff. Fred experience that all through his childhood all the way up through high school.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFred, was that blanket to keep guys level-headed and to let guys know like, \u2018No matter what the coach said, we still need you to help us win games. So you can&#8217;t be mentally distraught and feeling sorry for yourself because we need you,\u2019\u201d says JD.<\/p>\n<p>Adds Shamet: \u201cHe knew how to handle that dynamic, not only with coach but with teammates, and handling coach and teammates together. Like, as a third party, someone in the middle. He was always really good at that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>VanVleet also began to realize that a kind word could go a long way, that he didn\u2019t have to jump on his teammates to get his desired result. Not that he had entirely abandoned his previous self \u2014 \u201cHe could be direct and blunt; passionate,\u201d says Shamet, who\u2019s in his fourth NBA season, now with the Phoenix Suns. \u00a0VanVleet was finding another gear too. \u201cHe was always making sure to go out of his way to have the team functions over at his spot, making sure everyone was hanging out, having a good time,\u201d says Shamet. \u201cAnd I remember \u2014 it\u2019s burned into my brain \u2014 one time when I was leaving, he walked out with me and said, \u2018You\u2019re going to help us win a lot of games this year.\u2019 As a freshman and you\u2019re hearing that from <em>the guy,<\/em> that does a lot for your confidence, your comfort level. Knowing he believes in you, that goes a long way. \u2026 So I think as a leader he&#8217;s always been very gifted in that sense, you know. It&#8217;s always been known that he has been on his way and destined for greater things.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f02062fc7ec .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_61f02084fc7ed\" class=\"br-image-full-width__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-image-full-width\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Big-Read-Fred-VanVleet-Leadership-Dribble.jpg\">\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"br-image-full-width-description\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"drop-cap-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f020c1fc7ee\" class=\"br-drop_cap_paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-drop_cap_paragraph br-body\">\n            <p>\n                <span class=\"firstcharacter\">I<\/span>\n                n his sixth professional season, VanVleet\u2019s transition from fiery teenager to sage NBA vet is complete. The finishing touches have been forced upon him. Almost overnight he went from being the eager apprentice earning his way into the inner sanctum to the guy making the rules and calling the shots. He looked around the Raptors locker room and rather than a collection of pros with a decade or more in the league trying to win titles, he saw kids barely out of college, trying to figure things out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, it&#8217;s tough man. You gotta try to learn these guys, you know, and in a short amount of time,\u201d VanVleet tells me one wintery morning. He\u2019s come into the Raptors\u2019 OVO Centre practice facility early to get an optional workout in not even 12 hours after playing 44 minutes in a loss to Phoenix where he more than held his own against Paul. \u201cAnd sometimes you got to try to decide what comes first: Is it the corrections or the relationship? And, you know, I think I&#8217;m good for people who want to be great and who can be held accountable and who see the bigger picture. Guys that just care about winning, like, we&#8217;re gonna never have an issue. The guys who have to learn how to do that, that&#8217;s when it can be a little bumpy. [But] for all of these new guys, I just tell them the truth. First of all, \u2018This is what it takes. You might not like it right now, but you&#8217;ll see it eventually. This is how you&#8217;re going to get better. This is how you&#8217;re going to get paid. This is how we&#8217;re going to win. And I&#8217;m not lying to you.\u2019 I&#8217;m going to share what I&#8217;ve seen in my experience and what my vets taught me and hope that they can grasp it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a message that resonates, both in its content and delivery. \u201cAs a young guy who\u2019s undrafted and trying to make a way for himself in this league, and trying to provide for his family, those guys are the stepping stones,\u201d says Raptors rookie Justin Champagnie, who has pushed his way into head coach Nick Nurse\u2019s rotation of late. \u201cEspecially Fred being undrafted like myself. Just trying to follow behind the footsteps, just consistently work and wait your turn and, when it comes, be ready to shine.\u201d<\/p>\n            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f020c1fc7ee .br-drop_cap_paragraph .firstcharacter {\n\tcolor: #ce1141;\n\tfloat: left;\n\tfont-size: 120px;\n\tfont-weight: 800;\n\tline-height: 80px;\n\tfont-family: urw-din;\n\tmargin-right:6px; \n\ttext-transform: uppercase; \n }\n@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {\n\t#block_61f020c1fc7ee .br-drop_cap_paragraph .firstcharacter {\n\t\tfont-size: 86px;\n\t}\n}\n\n #block_61f020c1fc7ee  .br-drop_cap_paragraph p {\n\tline-height: 32px;\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tfont-size: 20px;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"pull-quote-container\">\n\t<div id=\"block_61f020e1fc7ef\" class=\"br-pull_quote_text__cont\">\n\t\t<div class=\"br-pull_quote_text br-body\">\n\t\t&#8220;I think that&#8217;s the part where greatness comes is being able to continue to do it over and over and over again. And eventually then we won&#8217;t be sitting here debating on, or having to wonder if I&#8217;m an all-star \u2014 it&#8217;ll be cemented.&#8221;\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f020f2fc7f0\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>VanVleet has spread his wings and influence beyond basketball as well, both in Toronto and Rockford. He was also willing and prepared to speak out on social justice issues in the summer of 2020. When the NBA briefly came to a halt in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisc., VanVleet was one of the first to suggest that a work stoppage might be coming, and that the moment needed to be a catalyst of sorts. \u201cIt&#8217;s not the most logical thing in the world, you know, for people to get killed because of their skin color. It just doesn&#8217;t make sense,\u201d he told reporters through a Black Lives Matter mask. \u201cSo the situation itself \u2026 it&#8217;s tough a little bit you know? You get a little survivor&#8217;s remorse. You feel guilty. That&#8217;s just natural, as somebody who lives a very privileged and blessed life \u2026 you just feel guilty sometimes and that\u2019s normal. And you try to use your platform or your resources to contribute to other people&#8217;s lives and making their lives better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In Rockford, VanVleet has invested in the community, including opening a brick-and-mortar retail outlet for his FVV brand apparel and merchandise, which also served as the location for the annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway he sponsors. He\u2019s made financial donations to his old high school and makes sure that the basketball program is properly kitted out by his shoe sponsor, Li-Ning.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s maintained his personal connections too. When VanVleet was trying to decide which anti-racist slogan he wanted to wear on his jersey in the NBA\u2019s 2020 bubble, it was Ott \u2014 who also taught VanVleet a course in Black history \u2014 that he turned to for advice, an experience the basketball coach describes as one of the most gratifying of his career. \u201cThe fact that he chooses to do those things for us is very touching,\u201d says Ott. \u201cIt just keeps that relationship going, and so people here are going to continue to know who he is and where he comes from. I mean, people can then see that here&#8217;s a guy who is from here, who achieved these kind of dreams; who had these aspirations and made them happen for himself. That whole \u2018Bet On Yourself\u2019 slogan really resonates around here, as you can imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f020f2fc7f0 .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_61f02109fc7f1\" class=\"br-image-column-width__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-image-column-width\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Big-Read-Fred-VanVleet-Leadership-Celebration.jpg\">\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"br-image-column-width-description\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f02144fc7f2\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>The pledge VanVleet made in the bubble has continued to ring true, with thoughts translating to action. In November, he helped launched <em>Bet On Yourself<\/em>, a 12-episode podcast series highlighting the successes and challenges of BIPOC entrepreneurs in Canada, and in December, he helped establish the Fred VanVleet Scholarship, a need-based award at the University of Toronto\u2019s Rotman School of Business aimed at Black and Indigenous students and valued at $60,000 annually, not counting VanVleet\u2019s availability as a mentor for the successful applicants. \u201cIt\u2019s something I am very passionate about, which is education and a four-year degree and just that experience of going to school and learning about yourself and learning about the world. I know how much I learned when I was in college and I\u2019m not even the biggest school guy,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I think it\u2019s just important and it\u2019s even more important to shine a light on people that may not get the [opportunity]. \u2026 I think the inspiration was borne around the bubble time when we were thinking of ways we could set the tone and lead the way in making change and impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For his mother, those are the kinds of actions that more than make up for some of the tougher times when her then-teenage son\u2019s edge would occasionally make her cringe. The man he is today makes all the long conversations about doing what\u2019s right, even when it\u2019s not convenient, worthwhile.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you have kids? Don&#8217;t sometimes they just totally shock you?\u201d she asks. \u201cLike, who&#8217;s the person that I gave birth to? That&#8217;s some of the moments that I have. And I think we spend all of our life trying to mold them into good people or what we perceive to be a good person and then all of a sudden they grow up and they&#8217;ve done that and more? And that&#8217;s kind of, that&#8217;s how I feel about him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f02144fc7f2 .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"br-body\">\n<div class=\"br-big_box_ad_label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div id=\"bigbox_block_61f0215efc7f3_5\" class=\"br-big_box_ad__cont\">\n    <div class=\"br-big_box_ad\"><\/div>\n        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            if (\"undefined\" !== typeof adUtility) { \n            \tconsole.log(\"ADUTILITY bigbox_block_61f0215efc7f3_5\");\n                adUtility.insertAd(\"bigbox_block_61f0215efc7f3_5\", { type: adUtility._AD_BIGBOX, adPath: adUnitPath, targeting: adTargets() });\n            }\n        <\/script>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"paragraph-container\">\n    <div id=\"block_61f02162fc7f4\" class=\"br-paragraph__cont\">\n        <div class=\"br-paragraph br-body\">\n    \t\t<span class=\"paragraph\"><p>VanVleet did eventually make his way to the hospital to apologize to the teammate that he\u2019d lashed out at in anger. It took him some time and some prodding from home \u2014 Susan calls it one of those \u2018Jesus Christ, are you serious?\u2019 moments. But eventually VanVleet made the connection and accepted that his ambitions couldn\u2019t be his alone, or achieved in a vacuum, and that bringing people together was the key to the group reaching its full potential. Sometimes you have to own it. \u201cHe\u2019s laying up in the hospital bed. I gave him a handshake and said, \u2018Sorry, man. I meant to hit you but didn\u2019t want you to be hurt this bad.\u2019 We were fine after that,\u201d VanVleet says.<\/p>\n<p>VanVleet should be an all-star this season and has ambitions to be one several times over. He\u2019s looking forward. \u201cI got big dreams and big visions and [I\u2019m] just thinking ahead of what I want to do,\u201d he says. \u201cI think that&#8217;s the part where greatness comes is being able to continue to do it over and over and over again. And eventually then we won&#8217;t be sitting here debating on, or having to wonder if I&#8217;m an all-star \u2014 it&#8217;ll be cemented.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But even with his eyes on the future, some of those early lessons still resonate, a low moment helping VanVleet eventually reach his greatest peaks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI let my anger get the best of me sometimes back then,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I learned it\u2019s easier to lead with love and build that rapport than tear guys down.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n #block_61f02162fc7f4 .br-paragraph .paragraph {\n\tfont-family: roboto;\n\tcolor: #343434;\n }\n.acf-block-preview .br-paragraph .paragraph p {\n    font-size: 20px;\n    line-height: 32px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div id=\"block_61f02185fc7f5\" class=\"br-additional_credits__cont\">\n\t<div class=\"br-additional_credits br-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"btn-social-group-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<ul class=\"btn-social-group btn-social-group-xs\">\n        <li><a data-an-category=\"Sharing - Social Media\" data-an-action=\"Buttons\" data-an-opt-label=\"Facebook\" class=\"btn-social-facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsnet.ca%2Fnba%2Flongform%2Fhow-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite%2F\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/li>\n    \n        <li><a data-an-category=\"Sharing - Social Media\" data-an-action=\"Buttons\" data-an-opt-label=\"Twitter\" class=\"btn-social-twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsnet.ca%2Fnba%2Flongform%2Fhow-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite%2F&#038;text=How%20Fred%20VanVleet%20claimed%20his%20place%20among%20the%20NBA%E2%80%99s%20elite @Sportsnet &#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsnet.ca%2Fnba%2Flongform%2Fhow-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite%2F\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/li>\n    \n    \n        <li><a data-an-category=\"Sharing - Social Media\" data-an-action=\"Buttons\" data-an-opt-label=\"Reddit\" class=\"btn-social-reddit\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsnet.ca%2Fnba%2Flongform%2Fhow-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite%2F&#038;title=How%20Fred%20VanVleet%20claimed%20his%20place%20among%20the%20NBA%E2%80%99s%20elite\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/li>\n    \n        <li><a data-an-category=\"Sharing - Social Media\" data-an-action=\"Buttons\" data-an-opt-label=\"E-mail\" class=\"btn-social-email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=How%20Fred%20VanVleet%20claimed%20his%20place%20among%20the%20NBA%26%238217%3Bs%20elite%20-%20sportsnet.ca&#038;body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsnet.ca%2Fnba%2Flongform%2Fhow-fred-vanvleet-claimed-his-place-among-the-nbas-elite%2F\"><\/a><\/li>\n    \n    \n        <li><a data-an-category=\"Sharing - Social Media\" data-an-action=\"Buttons\" data-an-opt-label=\"Link\" class=\"btn-social-comments\" href=\"#story-comments-anchor\"><div class=\"btn-social-comments-count\"><\/div><\/a><\/li>\n    \n    <\/ul>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"headline\">Photo Credits<\/div>\n\t\tMark Blinch\/NBAE via Getty Images; Sarah Stier\/Getty Images; Mark Blinch\/Getty Images; Vaughn Ridley\/NBAE via Getty Images; Mark Blinch\/Getty Images (2)\t<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tasked with replacing Kyle Lowry this season, Fred VanVleet saw two options: shy away or lean in. He chose the latter, and then went and claimed his place among the league&#8217;s best.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":115,"featured_media":5279467,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[17403],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3055],"class_list":["post-5279463","sn-bigreads","type-sn-bigreads","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-big-reads","sports-basketball","leagues-nba","importance-normal","teams-toronto-raptors"],"acf":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sn-bigreads\/5279463"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sn-bigreads"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sn-bigreads"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/115"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sn-bigreads\/5279463\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5280183,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sn-bigreads\/5279463\/revisions\/5280183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5279467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5279463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5279463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5279463"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=5279463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}