Fred VanVleet shares eye-opening take on Raptors fans in Toronto return
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Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet is a revered name in Toronto. He was a key member of the Toronto Raptors team that won the 2019 NBA championship, bring the only title in franchise history to the city. Fred VanVleet made his annual return to Toronto against the Raptors as an opponent with the Rockets, and he had good things to say about the fans, as per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports.
"This crowd, given the season that you guys are having, for them to be out there cheering and still showing up on a nightly basis, this is a special place for basketball," VanVleet said.
The Raptors are currently 7-22 and only ahead of the league-worst 4-22 Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference standings. This was VanVleet's first game against the Raptors on the court as he missed last season's matchup due to injury.
He didn't shoot particularly well, finishing with only two points on 1-of-10 shooting from the field and 0-of-5 shooting from three-point range. But he did contribute eight rebounds, five assists and two steals in 38 minutes.
Fred VanVleet was honored a with a tribute video on Sunday in his return, and he also reflected on what Raptors fans have meant to him.
"This place is a special place for me," VanVleet said. "I always think about what it means to me and my family but I never think about what I mean to other people until I get here, so that's always a blessing and something that I never take for granted."
This season though, VanVleet has been a key part of a Rockets' turnaround that has them as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. He's appeared in 25 games coming into Sunday, at a little over 35 minutes per game.
VanVleet had been averaging 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.5 steals with splits of 37.7 percent shooting from the field, 30.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 80.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
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