Undrafted VanVleet ‘humbled’ after record-setting 54-point blast

Every single team counted out Fred VanVleet in the 2016 NBA Draft, and now, the Toronto Raptors are reaping the rewards for betting on him.

The unassuming, undrafted 6-foot guard exploded out of nowhere for a franchise-best 54 points built on a smoking-hot 11-of-14 clip from three-point land in a 123-108 blowout against the Orlando Magic.

With that eruption, VanVleet not only broke DeMar DeRozan’s franchise record of 52 points, but also passed Hall of Famer Moses Malone for the most points scored by an undrafted player.

“Unbelievable. I’m very humbled and honored to be in the same sentence as both of those guys,” VanVleet told ESPN. “Just a special night, obviously, a lot of different levels. So just trying to enjoy it for now, but it’s not a championship or anything like that.”

“It was a good game for me, and I’ll enjoy all the love for a couple hours, and get ready for the next one,” he continued.

DeRozan, now with the San Antonio Spurs, took the time to congratulate his former teammate, but not before clowning his good friend and Raptors captain Kyle Lowry in the process.

Congrats to my brotha Freddy V! Kyle old ass couldn’t do it. Glad you did champ! Been telling you!

— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan) February 3, 2021

During his tenure in Toronto, DeRozan was vital to VanVleet’s continued rise to stardom, as it was revealed that he had his own way of motivating the young guard.

VanVleet said in his interview with @Sportsnet after tonight's game that he had DeMar in mind as he chased the record in part because DeRozan would text him anytime he had a big game and tell him it was "weak" because he hadn't taken down his record yet. https://t.co/tx1sEtoIxI

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 3, 2021

Sure enough, VanVleet continued to work with a chip on his shoulder, and eventually reached the peak of his career after winning the 2019 NBA championship during the Raptors’ unlikely run.

While it should be noted that Malone was actually drafted 3 separate times from 1974 to 1976 during the complicated NBA merger with the American Basketball Association (ABA), other undrafted stars still never came close to what VanVleet just did.

Prolific scorers John Starks and Raja Bell only peaked at 39 and 31 points, respectively, while Ben Wallace, arguably the greatest undrafted player of all time, never scored in bunches, and was always known as a defensive specialist.

Given VanVleet’s consistency and success throughout his career, he may soon be in the same breath as Wallace and Starks in conversations of all-time undrafted greats, if he’s not there already. – Rappler.com