Fred VanVleet

 

Fredderick Edmund VanVleet Sr. (born February 25, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also serves as the president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). Standing 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and weighing 197 pounds (89 kg), VanVleet plays as a point guard. 

 

He played college basketball for Wichita State University, where he became the school’s all-time assists leader and was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2014 and 2016. After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft, VanVleet signed with the Toronto Raptors and won an NBA championship with the team in 2019. He is a one-time NBA All-Star (2022) and led the NBA in steals in 2021.

Early Life

High School Career

 

VanVleet was born in Rockford, Illinois. His father, Fred Manning, who played basketball at Guilford High School, was killed in 1999 when VanVleet was in kindergarten. His mother is Susan VanVleet, and his stepfather is Joe Danforth, a former Rockford police officer who became a driving force in VanVleet’s basketball development, waking him at 5:30 a.m. for intense workouts.

 

VanVleet attended Auburn High School in Rockford, where he was a first-team All-State selection as a senior in 2012. He averaged 20.0 points and 6.0 assists per game as a senior, leading Auburn to a 22-game winning streak and the school’s first Illinois High School Association Final Four since 1975, finishing third in the state tournament. VanVleet remained loyal to his local AAU team rather than joining more high-profile Chicago programs. Despite his success, he received limited Division I interest and committed to Wichita State in July 2011.

 

College Career

 

VanVleet became one of the most decorated players in Wichita State history. As a freshman, he came off the bench for the 2012-13 Shockers team that reached the Final Four, scoring 13 points against Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and 12 against Ohio State in the Elite Eight.

 

As a sophomore in 2013-14, VanVleet moved into the starting lineup and helped lead Wichita State to the first 31-0 regular season in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history. He was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and earned third-team All-American honors. VanVleet won his second MVC Player of the Year award as a senior in 2016. He finished his college career as Wichita State’s all-time leader in assists (637), steals (225), and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.08). He posted the school’s first triple-double in over 40 years with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against Missouri State on February 7, 2015. VanVleet participated in 120 career victories, tied for the most in school and conference history.

NBA Career

Toronto Raptors (2016–2023)

 

After going undrafted in 2016, VanVleet signed with Toronto and spent time with the team’s G League affiliate, Raptors 905, winning the G League championship in 2017. He gradually earned a larger role with the Raptors, becoming a key reserve and eventually a starter.

 

The 2018-19 season proved historic. VanVleet averaged 11.0 points per game during the regular season but elevated his play significantly in the playoffs. He scored 21 points on seven three-pointers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Milwaukee and followed with 22 points on five three-pointers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against Golden State as Toronto won its first championship. 

 

VanVleet continued to improve, leading the NBA in steals in 2020-21 with 2.1 per game. On February 2, 2022, he scored a career-high 54 points with 11 three-pointers against Orlando, breaking the franchise record. He was named an All-Star for the first time in 2022. VanVleet entered free agency the following year. 

Houston Rockets (2023–present)

 

On July 1, 2023, VanVleet signed a three-year, $128 million contract with the Houston Rockets. In his first season (2023-24), he averaged 14.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game, helping Houston return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 with a 52-30 record. In February 2024, VanVleet set the NBA record for most single-season blocked shots by a player 6 feet 0 inches or shorter.

 

In 2024-25, VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.7 rebounds through 60 games before the Rockets lost to Golden State in seven games in the first round of the playoffs, where VanVleet averaged 18.7 points per game.

 

Following the season, Houston declined VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option and signed him to a two-year, $50 million extension. The Rockets acquired Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade in June 2025, positioning themselves as championship contenders.

 

However, disaster struck, and on September 22, 2025, VanVleet suffered a torn right ACL during an unofficial team workout in the Bahamas. He underwent surgery and is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season. Houston applied for a disabled player exemption worth approximately $12.5 million.

 

In VanVleet’s absence, rookie Reed Sheppard has emerged as a potential long-term solution at point guard, complicating Houston’s roster decisions if VanVleet returns.

Personal Life

 

VanVleet has a daughter born in January 2018 and a son born during the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals on May 20, 2019. VanVleet is a devout Christian and was a sociology major at Wichita State. In 2021, he launched the “Bet On Yourself” podcast in conjunction with Acast. VanVleet was elected president of the NBPA in 2024.

References

 

External Links

* Fred VanVleet on NBA.com

* Fred VanVleet on Basketball-Reference.com