John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
DeMar DeRozan Says He Feels like a 'Proud Father' Seeing Fred VanVleet at All-Star Weekend
Fred VanVleet's first All-Star trip couldn't have been scripted any better.
It was one thing to find out he'd received the honor from the fans earlier this month when the 500 or so Toronto Raptors faithful at Scotiabank Arena erupted in applause for their league guard, but it was another to find out with DeMar DeRozan.
"In this business that's the closest you could get to a brother. I told him, I love him like my mother had him," VanVleet told reporters at Saturday's All-Star Game Media Day. "That's as close as you can get. Him and Kyle have become big mentors and brothers for me on and off the court and he's one of the best in the game so that makes it a little more special to have a guy of that stature be able to put his arm around me and show me so much love."
It's a mutual love that goes back to VanVleet's rookie season when DeRozan used to trek back and forth between Toronto and Mississauga to see VanVleet play with the Raptors 905. Tomorrow that journey will come full circle as they take the court together in Cleveland.
"I feel like a proud father right now. I feel old," DeRozan joked. "I remember driving out there, watching him play, and to see him sitting here with the All-Star jersey, being a father, it makes me feel old, but at the same time as a friend, it's something that I'm most proud of to be able to share relationships and be sitting here in this moment with him."
DeRozan was among the first people to run over and congratulate VanVleet when he found out about the All-Star nod. The Chicago Bulls were in town and the former Raptors great congratulated his protege with a pre-game hug.
"It's just his loyalty, his support. He's going to ride with you right or wrong. Tell you when you're right and when you're right he's going to make sure you know you're right and he's just going to give you that support and that love," VanVleet said of DeRozan. "He checks in. He's constant. He checks in once a week. Every other couple days. Like he's consistently done that since I've known him."
The two will share the court together on Team Durant on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET.
Further Reading
Fred VanVleet discusses what makes Nick Nurse so special: 'It means the world'
3 takeaways from Toronto's 103-91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves
Thad Young discusses what makes learning Toronto's concepts so difficult
