Raptors guard VanVleet earned his place on team
Among the half dozen or so children sprinkled throughout the Maple Leaf Sports Launchpad on Friday, were probably one or two who dream of someday making it big in basketball.
There are extraordinarily long odds against that ever happening but not 10 metres away sat living proof that chasing one’s dreams — no matter how far-fetched they may be — is a pursuit worth taking, that a belief in oneself can create improbable story lines.
The occasion was the official announcement of Fred VanVleet’s new two-year, $18-million (all figures US) contract with the Toronto Raptors and the lesson for the assembled to take away was that dogged perseverance can pay off.
The VanVleet story is familiar to anyone who has followed the Raptors in recent years. Undrafted out of Wichita State, VanVleet, from Rockford, Ill., finally got a chance to prove himself as a backup point guard on Toronto’s summer league team in 2016. He wasn’t the biggest nor the quickest nor the most soughtafter player around but through dint of hard work he got a training camp invite that fall and he was off and running.
In two seasons VanVleet made himself into a Raptors regular, a tight-game finisher known for an unwavering work ethic who has the respect of his coaches, teammates, fans and opponents. He now has incredible riches too.
That cash — about $1.3 million last season, about $8.8 million now — is simply a byproduct.
“I never really put a contract as any of my goals,” he said. “Obviously that’s an underlying motivation to be able to take care of your family. Luckily we play this game or whatever to be able to make this money. But it’s more so about my competitive drive for the game, my love for the game and keep continuing to strive forward. Just being an important, integral part of a team was one of my goals. If you do those things right, a contract comes with it.”
No wonder everyone loves the 24-year-old.
And no wonder the Raptors made him the No. 1 summer priority.
“Going though this process, two things that kept coming up to us was his just absolute desire to win and his ability to continually improve himself and that comes from within and is something that makes him really special,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said. “I think off the court he has outstanding character and he has an unending dedication to where he comes from and I think that’s why it’s so cool that he’s able to do this in front of a bunch of kids that probably look up to him and hopefully can embody the work he’s done.