Raptors guard VanVleet says he’s ready to lead by example this season
TORONTO — Fred VanVleet arrived for the first day of his rookie training camp early, keen to prove he was ready to work.
He arrived at 9 a.m. for an 11 a.m. practice only to find Kyle Lowry stretching after a weight workout. He’d been there since 6.
Six years later, and with Lowry gone, VanVleet is ready to lead by example as a veteran on a very young Raptors team that hosts Washington in its season-opener on Wednesday. It’s important, the 27-year-old point guard said, for young players to learn to fit into the team’s culture quickly.
“You’ve got to learn how to be a pro,” VanVleet said after practice at OVO Athletic Centre on Tuesday. “We’ve got a lot of 20, 21-year-old who have no idea. I was pretty mature at 20, but I don’t know if I was ready for this.