Underdog Part 1: Fred VanVleet

For this first part, I decided to start with the underdog story I know best. Fred VanVleet. _

Fred VanVleet. To most people, he is just another NBA player. People know him for his shooting, for his defence, for his key role on the Raptors: but how many people really know VanVleet’s story? How many people know that he was undrafted, or that he didn’t get an actual NBA contract for more than a month after the draft, or that he didn’t even get minutes in the first years of his career? Well, for those who don’t know those parts of Fred VanVleet’s story, this is a must read for you. VanVleet’s journey has inspired me, and maybe it can inspire you. _

Draft day, 2016. Fred VanVleet had invited a bunch of his friends and family to come watch him get drafted. The mood at the party is certainly happy. Everyone is excited to see their brother and friend, Fred VanVleet, get drafted. Well, once the draft gets started, everyone is on the edge of their seats, waiting for his name to be read by the Commissioner. They waited. And waited. And waited. Pick after pick after pick passed by without his name being called. The draft ended with Fred VanVleet going undrafted. This had to be disappointing for VanVleet. Getting drafted probably would’ve been a really great thing for him. But, just cause he wasn’t drafted doesn’t mean he just sat back and grumbled. He went to work.

Fred VanVleet got an invite to go play with the Toronto Raptors summer team. This would be the chance that VanVleet wanted! He was not going to let this opportunity pass by without making an impression on the Raptors. And he definitely did make an impression on them. VanVleet ended up being the leading scorer for that summer league team, and earned himself a multi year contract a little more than a month after the draft. It took long, hard work, but finally, Vanvleet was in the NBA.

He knew that he wasn’t going to get much playing time in his first season, so he was going to have to earn those minutes in the G-League. And he definitely did. Over the course of the 2016-2017 G-League season, Vanvleet led the Raptors G-League team to a championship, and definitely made a huge impact on the Raptors, because next season, he would become a part of the bench mob.

VanVleet started getting significant minutes in his second NBA career, right around 20 a game, and he played quite well, averaging around 8 points per game and shooting pretty well from the field. He became a part of what was known as “the bench mob”, a nickname for the Raptors bench. He earned his minutes, and continued to make an impression on the Raptors. People still didn’t really know about VanVleet though. To most, he was just another bench player. VanVleet was set to prove these people wrong though.

The 2018-2019 season. VanVleet was getting a ton more minutes than last year, and he was playing hard to get those minutes. He averaged 11 points per game, 4 assists per game, and was pretty efficient. He was having an impact off the bench for this team. The real great part about this season for Freddy though happens during the playoffs, specially the ECF and the Finals.

VanVleet played extremely well during the ECF and the Finals. He made clutch baskets, made clutch plays, and was a huge part of the Raptors first ever championship. The world was finally starting to see Fred VanVleet. Now people were starting to see that this kid could play ball. VanVleet wasn’t done proving to the world that he was here to stay though.

Next season, FVV earned himself a starting spot, and he played really well. He was now getting 35 minutes per game, and he was averaging a career high in pretty much every stat. He was a driving force for this great Raptors team. Now people started to know VanVleet’s name. People started to know who he was on the court. People started to know that VanVleet belonged in the NBA. People started to know that passing on him in the draft was a mistake.

Bet on yourself. That phrase has encompassed VanVleet’s career. There were many times he could’ve just given up. Many times he could’ve quit. But VanVleet never stopped betting on himself, and it had payed off. He is now a full time starter, and even close to being an all star caliber player. He is making a lot of money that he totally deserves, and the world know VanVleet to be a good basketball player. I’m sure VanVleet will continue to prove to the world that he is a great player, and inspire people to bet on themselves. Bet on yourself. A great motto for anyone who had been looked over by people. Bet on yourself. _

That is the first part to this series! I hope you guys like it, as it took quite a long time to write. Please give me your feedback and maybe some ideas for other players that you would like me to write about for this series!