Toronto Raptors guard Fran VanVleet is making sure Raptors fans are holding up their end of the bargain. That's for sure.
At Toronto's championship parade on Monday, VanVleet had this to say:
“You kill us when we lose. You killed us when we got swept. So you better celebrate this s— for the rest of the summer. We delivered,” he said, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
VanVleet is of course referring to the Raptors' prior two playoff appearances, when they were swept out of the second round by the Cleveland Cavaliers on both occasions.
But now, Toronto fans have no reason to be upset, as their Raptors are champions for the first time in franchise history.
VanVleet was a big reason for that, as he poured in 22 points during the title-clinching Game 6, hitting numerous big shots down the stretch to keep the Golden State Warriors at bay. He also did a masterful job defending Stephen Curry during the series.
On the season overall, VanVleet played in 64 games and averaged 11.0 points, 4.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds over 27.5 minutes per game while shooting 41.0 percent from the floor, 37.8 percent from 3-point range and 84.3 percent from the free-throw line. He really struggled to start the postseason, but he came alive after the birth of his son.
The 25-year-old, who played his collegiate basketball at Wichita State, went undrafted but eventually landed with the Raptors during the summer of 2016. He went on to appear in just 37 contests with Toronto during his rookie campaign, registering 2.9 points per game, but he carved out a role during his second season, participating in 76 games and recording 8.6 points, 3.2 assists and 2.4 boards a night.
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