During a recent appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, Fred VanVleet shared his welcome to the NBA moment, having a Chris Paul connection. The marksmen spoke about the players he idolized in the league.
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Fred VanVleet is one of the most talented point guards in the league. Surprisingly, undrafted FVV runs the offense for the Toronto Raptors. Fred has one of the most inspiring stories that focus on hard work and perseverance. The point guard holds a special place with the people of Toronto.
FVV would prove his mettle and get selected for the summer league of the Raptors. During his rookie year, Fred played multiple games for the Raptors 905 in the NBA Development League. He was part of the Raptors 905 championship team in 2017.
Post which, FVV’s career would see an upward rise on the graph. The Raptors point guard played a vital role in bringing the city of Toronto their first NBA championship in 2019. Fred was 40% from beyond the arc during the Finals.
Recently, the twenty-seven-year-old revealed his welcome to the NBA moment that involved Chris Paul. FVV also spoke about idolizing Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant.
Fred VanVleet talks about his welcome to the NBA moment and the players he idolized.
No NBA player ever forgets his debut, especially his first few seconds on the hardwood. Thus FVV was no different. While speaking to Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Fred revealed how clueless he felt playing against veteran point guard Chris Paul.
The Raptors point guard stated how he was unaware that he was in the starting lineup during a pre-season game against the Lob City in LA.
“It’s Chris Paul,” said FVV.
“Man he wasn’t even shooting, he had like 13-points in the half-time. He was double-crossing me, spinning me around, and he was rejecting. Man, I was spinning around. I was so lost, and I remember being in the locker room at half-time, saying this is different. He (CP3) wasn’t even in kill mode but he knew I was a rookie, so he was letting me know, he got me.”
Coming into the league, Fred was in awe of superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Kyrie Irving. However, the Raptors point guard didn’t let his fan moment come onto the court. Though he admired these superstars while being on the bench, he would flip the switch as soon as he stepped on the hardwood.
