<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Raptors-Fred-VanVleet-Adam-Silver.jpg"></figure><h1>Raptors’ Fred VanVleet compares NBA’s updated COVID protocols to a sinking ship</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-13T11:05:38-08:00">January 13th, 11:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-13T11:06:16-08:00">January 13th, 11:06am</time><address><a>Immanuel Canicosa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Before the season started, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted that with the league not playing in a bubble unlike the previous season, the possibility of players testing positive for COVID-19 and games being postponed was inevitable, similar to the MLB and NFL seasons. After stiffening up the protocols recently, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-trades-to-fix-raptors-after-brutal-2-8-start/">Toronto Raptors</a> guard Fred VanVleet believes the league’s attempt to flatten the curve is like plugging holes in a sinking boat, according to Lori Ewing of The Canadian Press.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Fred VanVleet says the NBA's new stricter COVID-19 protocols feel a bit like trying to "plug holes in a sinking boat."</p><p>— Lori Ewing (@Ewingsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ewingsports/status/1349413700369838082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>There have now been seven games postponed as of Wednesday morning, with the latest being the contest between <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-hawks-suns-latest-game-to-be-postponed-trae-young-reacts/">the Phoenix Suns and Atlanta Hawks</a>. In light of multiple positive tests, shorthanded rosters, and multiple postponements, the league has added <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30699678/added-nba-protocols-prohibit-non-team-guests-hotel-rooms-require-masks-bench">more stringent protocols for teams</a>, mostly focusing on closing rooms to non-team guests in road hotels and limiting non-team activities for players and staff while on the road.</p><p>VanVleet and the Raptors have not had games postponed so far due to COVID-19, although the team is mired in a slow start to the season and have a 2-8 record and find themselves tied with the Detroit Pistons for last place in the Eastern Conference. Toronto is coming off a pair of stinging one-point losses to the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers.</p><p>Despite their struggles, however, the 26-year old guard is having the best season of his career so far, averaging 20.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 45.1% from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc.</p><p>The Raptors hope to get their third win of the season when they face the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Fred VanVleet compares NBA’s updated COVID protocols to a sinking ship

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/raptors-news-kyle-lowry-fred-vanvleet-call-out-teams-defensive-effort-after-0-2-start.jpg"></figure><h1>Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet call out Raptors’ defensive effort after 0-2 start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-12-27T09:41:42-08:00">December 27th, 9:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-12-27T09:41:42-08:00">December 27th, 9:41am</time><address><a>Aayush Patel</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2018-2019 NBA champions are struggling right from the get-go. The start of the 2020-2021 season has not been kind to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/toronto-raptors">Toronto Raptors</a>, as the Raptors fell to 0-2 after losing to the San Antonio Spurs 119-114.</p><p>Veteran guard Kyle Lowry had reflected on the loss against the Spurs:</p><blockquote>“We’re nowhere near where we want to be defensively, but it takes hard work, it takes dedication of watching film, understanding who we’re playing against and making adjustments on the fly…“I think we’ll watch some film tomorrow and the next day and see what we did bad and what we did good and try to build off the good end of things rather than dwell on the bad things,” Lowry remarked, via <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/raptors-uncharacteristic-slip-defence-cause-concern/">Steven Loung of Sportsnet.</a></blockquote><p>Leaving the bubble last season after losing against the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, leaders such as Lowry and Fred VanVleet proved to the NBA world that they didn’t need Kawahi Leonard to be a competitive team and a contender for the title.</p><p>However, with these defensive struggles setting the Raptors back 0-2, VanVleet attributes the problems the Raptors are experiencing on the court to communication.</p><blockquote>“I am not going to give anybody credit for communicating, myself included…We got to do a much better job of that. So to answer your question, everybody on the team needs to be better on that end of the floor communicating, starting with myself and I think that will help our defence out. I mean there’s nobody in the building so there’s no excuse to not be talking. It’s quiet as hell out there,” VanVleet said, via <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/raptors-uncharacteristic-slip-defence-cause-concern/">Steven Loung of Sportsnet.</a></blockquote><p>The Raptors will need to find a solution soon, as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers next.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet call out Raptors’ defensive effort after 0-2 start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Raptors-Fred-VanVleet-DeMar-DeRozan.jpg"></figure><h1>Raptors’ Fred VanVleet praises former teammate DeMar DeRozan on mental health, impact on career</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-12-26T12:59:00-08:00">December 26th, 12:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-12-26T12:59:43-08:00">December 26th, 12:59pm</time><address><a>David Bernal</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-kyle-lowrys-hilarious-reaction-to-og-anunoby-72-million-contract-extension/" rel="noopener">Toronto Raptors</a> guard Fred VanVleet had high praise for friend and former teammate DeMar DeRozan for the impact he had not only on his career but the conversation around mental health in league circles.</p><p>Speaking with reporters gathered in anticipation of the Raptors’ game against the San Antonio Spurs Saturday night, the guard was frank in his admiration of DeRozan’s courage in being vulnerable about his mental health struggles:</p><blockquote>“He changed a billion-dollar business. He changed it pretty much single-handedly (by) speaking out,” VanVleet told reporters, <a href="https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/1342888500694294530">according</a> to TSN’s Josh Lewenberg.DeRozan was the first NBA player to publicly address his struggles with mental health back in 2018. The four-time All-Star tweeted about his history of battling depression, a courageous act VanVleet feels opened players’ eyes around the league.“So for him to do that was huge and we won’t know the impact, we’ll never know the impact, but we just know that it’s a great impact that he had on the league and on the guys, on players, coaching staff, whoever – that this is DeMar DeRozan and he goes through shit like everybody else,” VanVleet added.</blockquote><p>In the aftermath of DeRozan’s tweets, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/kevin-love-everyone-is-going-through-something">penned</a> an article in the Player’s Tribune, in which he admitted to battling anxiety, and credited DeRozan for being the first to speak out about such issues.</p><p>Originally drafted by the Raptors with a lottery pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, DeRozan spent the next nine seasons with Toronto as the wingmate of both VanVleet and Kyle Lowry. Eventually <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24128461/toronto-raptors-agree-deal-acquire-kawhi-leonard-trade-involves-demar-derozan">traded</a> in a blockbuster move that brought Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs, the departure of DeRozan was unpopular with several Raptor players owing to the tight bond that DeRozan had formed with many of them. While Toronto would eventually win an NBA championship as a result of the transaction, it was seen as a bittersweet <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/nba-news-was-i-the-problem-demar-derozan-opens-up-about-toronto-raptors-winning-a-championship-without-him/">moment</a> to have accomplished the feat without the guard.</p><p>Listening to VanVleet speak about DeRozan, it’s clear his presence is still missed on the roster.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Fred VanVleet praises former teammate DeMar DeRozan on mental health, impact on career

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/fred.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors’ Fred VanVleet lays down hard stance on how NBA players should approach COVID-19</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-12-06T22:34:45-08:00">December 6th, 10:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-12-06T22:34:45-08:00">December 6th, 10:34pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>If there’s one team that has been gravely affected by COVID-19 ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season, it’s the Toronto Raptors.</p><p>Although all NBA teams have been forced to put in some sort of health protocols and quarantine measures to help mitigate the rise of the global pandemic, it’s only the Raptors who have actually been forced out of their home city of Toronto. The Raps will have an unprecedented experience of hosting all their “<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-toronto-plans-begin-2020-21-season-tampa-florida/">home games</a>” all the way to Tampa Bay, Florida.</p><p>Ahead of all these developments, Raptors guard Fred VanVleet wants to make sure his entire team and organization knows the gravity of the situation.</p><blockquote>“We can’t turn getting COVID into an indictment. We can’t turn getting COVID into, ‘We did something wrong,'” Fred VanVleet said on Sunday (via <a href="https://www.tsn.ca/with-so-much-on-the-line-toronto-raptors-g-fred-vanvleet-plans-to-hold-teammates-accountable-1.1560673">TSN</a>). “Now, if you’re going to pool parties at night and nobody’s wearing masks, that’s one thing. But if you have to go to the grocery store, or you have family in town, and you get it, you get it.”</blockquote><p>The coronavirus pandemic has seen non-stop rise in active cases in the US since it first entered earlier this year. The NBA was forced to play inside a bubble environment just so the league could properly finish the 2019-2020 campaign. Given all the logistical concerns of coming up with another bubble for the upcoming season, the league has decided to carry on with some sort of normalcy and continue with the usual home and away set-up for the shortened 2020-21 season.</p><p>With that said, VanVleet noted that the situation gives players no choice but to be completely accountable and responsible for their actions.</p><blockquote>“(But) everybody has to be responsible in their own right because the way it’s passed, and we’re together a lot of the time. I don’t want to take that home to my children and my family.” the Raptors guard added.</blockquote><p>There have been a lot of talk about how the lack of health protocols  ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season is a bit worrisome for a lot of members of the league. The NFL, who went ahead with the usual travel schedule in their respective regular season, has already encountered a handful of scheduling concerns due to certain teams and players contracting the virus.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Fred VanVleet lays down hard stance on how NBA players should approach COVID-19

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/fred.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>Fred VanVleet speaks out on famous ‘bet on yourself’ tweet after signing $85 million contract with Raptors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-11-25T19:34:29-08:00">November 25th, 7:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-11-25T19:45:28-08:00">November 25th, 7:45pm</time><address><a>Ashish Mathur</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet had a party filled with friends and family during the night of the 2016 draft. That evening was supposed to be a celebratory night.</p><p>However, VanVleet wasn’t drafted by a team, and suddenly, things got awkward at his party.</p><p>In typical VanVleet fashion, though, the Raptors guard turned a negative into a positive. He grabbed the microphone to address his guests and said he was going to bet on himself. VanVleet later took to Twitter that night and tweeted “bet on yourself.”</p><p>Four years later, FVV is now a one-time champion and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-fred-vanvleet-agrees-to-4-year-85m-deal-to-stay-in-toronto/" rel="noopener noreferrer">owner of a lucrative contract</a>. While speaking to Raptors reporters about his new deal, VanVleet talked about that famous “bet on yourself” tweet and the draft party he had.</p><blockquote>“At that time, I might have been one of a handful of people who believed that, but here we are today. I guess it’s more interesting to see how you have to be on your own, standing on your own two [feet], and do it that way and then people will follow you and jump on the bandwagon and they will start to see it after you make them see it,” Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said, via <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30380946/fred-vanvleet-people-overlooking-toronto-raptors-again">ESPN</a>.“That’s the fun part for me, seeing how this following is kind of growing and watching everybody try to pretend to be underdogs and adopt the ‘Bet on yourself’ thing. It’s becoming mainstream now, which is hilarious to me.”</blockquote><p>The Raptors signed VanVleet to a four-year, $85 million contract. He’s now the highest-paid undrafted player in NBA history.</p><p>During the 2019-20 season, VanVleet averaged 17.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Fred VanVleet speaks out on famous ‘bet on yourself’ tweet after signing $85 million contract with Raptors

Hassan Whiteside

Kyle Korver

Al Horford

Tyler Herro

Fred VanVleet

Eric Bledsoe

Marcus Smart

Patty Mills

Willie Cauley-Stein

Larry Nance Jr.

2018-19 NBA Champ

2019 NBA Champ

Toronto Raptors

Career

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1354093315281584128/

Wait, skateboards and roses? Hard to believe, but @AXECanada Skateboards and Fresh Roses really does smell amazing. 🌹🛹 #ad 

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1345053694275055616/

Happy New Year🍾 may the next 10 be the best 10 yet 🙏🏽

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1341120888998146048/

Parlay. 

The next bet. 

The off-season documentary coming soon. 

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1330962533335916546/

Been watching the pod for a few years now @JoeBudden finally didn’t kill my last name 😂😂😂 
 S/o @MAL___

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1321938352300576769/

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1310481876088389633/

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1308767905597788161/

We need @NBACoachGriffin to get a shot as well. No brainer

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1295145028642394117/

#Ad Canada, there’s still time to support the small businesses you love! Small businesses make neighbourhoods special, so let’s show them some love. Get out there and make the most of @AmexCanada’s biggest #ShopSmall offer ever. T&amp;Cs apply  

Fred
VanVleet

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