BIOGRAPHY
Fred VanVleet was born on February 25, 1994,in Rockford, Illinois. He is a point guard in the NBA.
He didn’t get here by chance. Before his rise to the NBA, Fred had a banner collegiate career at Wichita State with the Shockers, where he was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, three-time Associated Press honorable mention All-American, and three-time MVC first-team player. With Fred on their side, Wichita State had one of the best stretches in program history: they made four straight appearances in March Madness, and headed to the Final Four when he was a freshman, with an undefeated regular season the next year. When he left school, Fred was WSU’s all-time leader in assists. During the 2016 draft, Fred made a decision not everyone has the courage to make. He chose to go undrafted. With his skills, training, and track record, he knew he was ready for bigger things. In his hometown of Rockford, Illinois, Fred rented out a bar and invited his adoring family and friends. He didn’t hear the commissioner call his name. But he did hear his agent say the three words that changed everything: bet on yourself. And soon after, the Toronto Raptors saw real potential in Fred. He hasn’t disappointed. After securing the position as a finalist for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award for the 2017-2018 season as a key component of a strong Raptors bench unit, Fred has proved his role as a shooter and ball distributor. Averaging 24.8 Fred’s story doesn’t end here. This is just the beginning.
VanVleet signed to play in the 2016 NBA Summer League with the Toronto Raptors with the expectation that he would be in the Raptors' training camp. On July 18, he signed a multi-year deal with the Raptors. VanVleet made his official league debut on November 9, 2016. During his rookie season, VanVleet had multiple assignments with Raptors 905 of the NBA Development League. He was a member of Raptors 905's championship-winning team in April 2017.
VanVleet finished the 2017–2018 season averaging 8.6 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 76 games; he ranked 4th in the NBA in net efficiency per possession. He was subsequently nominated for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
VanVleet re-signed with the Raptors on July 6, 2018. The Raptors entered the 2019 NBA playoffs as the number two seed, where VanVleet was an important bench player for the team. In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, VanVleet scored 14 points in a 100–94 series-clinching win over the Bucks, helping the Raptors advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. VanVleet played an important defensive role against Stephen Curry during the NBA Finals that saw him utilized in a box-and-one defense, thus helping the Raptors win their first NBA championship in franchise history. VanVleet came second place in NBA Finals MVP voting to Kawhi Leonard.
In 2020, VanVleet became the first Raptors player to record 30 points & 10+ assists in a playoff game. In November 2020, it was announced that VanVleet would remain with the Raptors with a four-year, US$85-million deal.
