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Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet took a moment on Tuesday to set the record straight regarding prospects projected to be selected high in the NBA Draft.
VanVleet, who went undrafted in 2016, has been overlooked throughout his entire career. He wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school and eventually played four years at Wichita State, helping the Shockers reach the Final Four in 2013.
A video of VanVleet on the night of the 2016 NBA Draft went viral last year after he was forced to break the news to his family at a party that he was not going to be selected. Instead, he turned down two offers to play in the then-D-League in order to compete for a roster spot with the Raptors.
On Tuesday, VanVleet jumped on social media to directly inform players projected to be first-round picks that everyone cannot be labeled an underdog.
Oh and all my guys that’s lottery picks or potential lottery I know there are ALOT of people counting you out but you not an underdog stop it lol that shit ain’t for everybody
— Fred VanVleet (@FredVanVleet) June 9, 2020
As a player that had to fight, scratch and claw his way onto an NBA roster, VanVleet certainly has a valid point to those players that went to high-major schools and are on the verge of being drafted that they cannot call themselves underdogs.
Of course, VanVleet played a major role in helping the Raptors win the NBA championship last year after scoring a career-high 22 points in the decisive Game 6 win over the Golden State Warriors.
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