The NBA announced its reserves for the 2022 All-Star Game on Thursday evening and, while there is always talk of “snubs” and what went wrong with the selections, it is also a time for celebration. For Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, that was very much the case, as the 27-year-old earned his first selection, earning the nod after a stellar first half of the 2021-22 season. The Raptors were set to take the floor for a home game just as the All-Star picks came down, meaning he had to focus on the task at hand, but that didn’t stop Drake from congratulating VanVleet before tipoff.
Fred VanVleet gets the congrats from @Drake and Adonis, who are sitting courtside tonight. pic.twitter.com/lAkUiGnAXG
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 4, 2022
Even with fans limited, or even non-existent, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Drake has been present in support of the Raptors, and that continues here. The timing also worked quite well, as the game tipped off just moments after the official announcement, and VanVleet (due to alphabetical order) was the last player named by TNT.
In addition to the franchise’s most prominent fan showing love, the Raptors have unleashed a full-fledged campaign for VanVleet, all the way down to a “Freddie All-Star” moniker on the team’s local broadcast. VanVleet has clearly earned the All-Star nod with his play, though, averaging 21.5 points and 7.0 assists per game with impressive defense and three-point shooting (39.1 percent). It is always fun to see a first-time selection rewarded, and VanVleet received quite the congratulatory welcome here.
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