Toronto Raptors' Fred VanVleet dribbles in the course of the first half of an NBA basketball sport towards the Philadelphia 76ers, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photograph/Matt Slocum)
Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has been chosen as a reserve for the 2022 NBA All-Star Recreation.
He was voted in for the primary time in his profession by a panel of the NBA's 30 head coaches.
VanVleet is the eighth participant in Raptors franchise historical past to be named an all-star and simply the fourth undrafted participant within the NBA's trendy period to be chosen to the distinguished midseason showcase.
The sport will happen on Feb. 20 in Cleveland. A draft can be held on Feb. 10, when VanVleet will be taught whether or not he'll play for Group Kevin Durant or Group LeBron James. The 2 celebrity forwards have been revealed as the highest vote-getters within the Jap and Western Conferences final week and named workforce captains for the all-star sport.
VanVleet, 27, is within the midst of his finest season as a professional, averaging profession highs in factors (21.5), assists (7.0), rebounds (4.7) and minutes performed (38.6) per sport as he is helped the Raptors to a 26-23 document.
He's the primary Raptor chosen to the all-star sport since Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry have been picked in 2020.
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse mentioned Thursday that he noticed echoes of Lowry's sport early in VanVleet's profession.
"I believe in that first yr or two, I simply noticed actual similarities to Kyle," Nurse mentioned. "I mentioned many occasions, `Why cannot he be Kyle Lowry?' (A participant) who was going to the all-star sport again and again. I do not know if I used to be pondering he was an all-star, however I used to be seeing an identical participant there."
A local of Rockford, Unwell., VanVleet famously went undrafted in 2016, regardless of having fun with a robust four-year collegiate profession at Wichita State. He signed with the Raptors' Summer season League workforce in 2016 and earned a multi-year contract with Toronto.
In 2019, VanVleet helped the Raptors win the NBA championship.
He signed a reported four-year, US$85-million contract with Toronto in November 2020.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Feb. 3, 2022.
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