Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet may not go down as the greatest player in franchise history, but with his performance against the Charlotte Hornets on Apr. 2, he's undoubtedly one of the best players to have suited up in the red and black.
On Sunday, VanVleet would break a 27-year-old franchise record in the Raptors' blowout victory over the Hornets.
Tallying 20 points, 20 assists, and three steals in 38 minutes, the veteran broke the single-game assist record that was previous held by guard Damon Stoudamire, the 1996 Rookie of the Year.
CAREER-HIGH. FRANCHISE RECORD.
20 assists for Fred VanVleet 🙌
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📺: https://t.co/1pomQZMAZK pic.twitter.com/TKCNW1Tizt— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2023
1996 also happens to be the year when Stoudamire set the record, with 19 assists against the Houston Rockets. It's not just because the 1995-96 season was the first in Rockets history, either.
Since Stoudamire set the record, it's been matched several times:
Former guard Jose Calderon recorded 19-assist games on two separate occasions, a feat not even Stoudamire had managed. That said, while its true Calderon played eight-plus seasons with the Raptors while Stoudamire only played two-plus seasons in Toronto, Stoudamire never reached 19 assists in a single game again.
Calderon is also second all-time in Raptors history with 3,770 assists in his tenure with the franchise.
Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry, who also has recorded 19 assists in a game, did so against the Boston Celtics in Mar. 2021. Lowry is Toronto' all-time assist leader with 4,277.
VanVleet, though not as prolific as Calderon or Lowry in franchise history, is third in Raptors history with 2,180 assists.
He also holds the single-game franchise record for most points scored with 54, and currently ranks 8th in franchise history with 6,055 career points.
Amazing to think that he went undrafted in 2016.
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