Fred VanVleet Bio
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 is also the current president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). A point guard, VanVleet played college basketball for Wichita State University before beginning his NBA career. He contributed to a resurgence of Wichita State Shockers basketball that included a Final Four run by the 2012–13 Shockers team and an undefeated regular season by the 2013–14 team. VanVleet was named as a 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball All-American by a variety of media outlets.
Early Life and Background
VanVleet was born on February 25, 1994, in Rockford, Illinois, to Susan VanVleet and Fred Manning. His father was murdered in 1999 when VanVleet was five years old. His mother later remarried Joe Danforth, a U.S. Army veteran and retired police officer of the Rockford Police Department, who became VanVleet’s stepfather and also served as his personal trainer. VanVleet played for Auburn High School in Rockford, Illinois, where he was an All-State first-team selection by the Chicago Sun-Times, Associated Press, and Chicago Tribune as a senior in 2012. In 2012, VanVleet helped lead Auburn to a 22-game winning streak, resulting in the school’s first Illinois High School Association (IHSA) final four since 1975. He led the Knights to a third-place finish in the IHSA state tournament.
Path to Basketball
VanVleet remained loyal to his local Rockford Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) club team rather than accept offers to more high-profile teams in Chicago. He received basketball scholarship offers from several schools, including Colorado State, Northern Illinois, and Wichita State. When VanVleet accepted an offer to play for Wichita State, he became the only member of the national class of 2012 Rivals.com top 150 to attend a Missouri Valley Conference school. As a freshman, VanVleet contributed double-digit scoring twice in the 2013 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament from off the bench as the 2012–13 Shockers team reached the Final Four. He was mentored by senior Malcolm Armstead during this time.
Fred VanVleet Career
Early Career (2016–2017)
After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, VanVleet signed with the Toronto Raptors. He spent time with the Raptors and their G League affiliate, Raptors 905, during the 2016–17 season and was a member of Raptors 905’s 2017 championship team. He made his official league debut on November 9, 2016, and posted his first two points in the Raptors’ 19th game against the Los Angeles Lakers. During his rookie season, VanVleet had multiple assignments with Raptors 905.
Breakthrough (2018–2019)
VanVleet re-signed with the Raptors on July 6, 2018. He played a crucial role in the Raptors’ 2019 NBA championship run, setting an NBA Finals record with 16 made three-point shots off the bench. In Game 6 of the NBA Finals, he scored a playoff career-high 22 points, helping the Raptors win their first NBA championship in franchise history. He was named to his first NBA All-Star Game in 2022.
Notable Works and Milestones
VanVleet holds the Raptors records for single-game assists (20) and single-game points (54), making him the only player to have sole possession of both records for an NBA franchise. He is also the only undrafted player in NBA history to score 54 points in a game.
Fred VanVleet Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Fred VanVleet has received several nominations, including for the NBA All-Star Game and the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Fred VanVleet Awards Won
VanVleet has won notable awards, including the NBA All-Star selection in 2022 and the NBA championship in 2019.
Fred VanVleet Family
Fred VanVleet is the son of Fred Manning and Susan VanVleet. He has a daughter born in 2018 and a son born in 2019.
Personal Life
VanVleet is biracial; his father was black and his mother is white. He has a brother named Darnell and a stepbrother named J.D. VanVleet was a sociology major at Wichita State. He also launched the “Bet On Yourself” podcast in November 2021, focusing on perseverance and success with BIPOC entrepreneurs.
