He was an undrafted free agent but he made Toronto’s final roster. How could you doubt him? He dealt with Gregg Marshall for four years. Those Wichita State Shocker teams were a small town high school basketball coach’s nocturnal emission. They played how all of them imagined their teams did. If you told me there were multiple shrines dedicated to VanVleet and Ron Baker I would believe you. I’d probably show you mine.
VanVleet was the engine of those teams, a sturdy playmaker who could put the clamps down, make timely shots. Fred VanVleet. That’s a nursery rhyme name. He’s about to come into a heavy amount of OVO gear. The bummer is that, least as of now, he hasn’t taken any pictures in corner booths with golden owls. I’m not sure where he stands on pinky rings. Hopefully pro, but you never can know. Sometimes players aren’t who you want them to be.
I think the Raptors have the best uniforms in the league when the Kings aren’t wearing those light blue numbers with the magenta script. I love We The North as a theme, a chant, a saying on a shirt, an idea. It’s even a fact. It’s beautiful. There’s something grand about it, elevated. They’ve got a sense for how to up the stakes. It’s all so dramatic. In a good way, I mean. I dig the whole aesthetic. I’ve always been a Paul Pierce fan and Roberta’s has good pizza but even I was with Masai on the —-Brooklyn tip.
I’ve never been to a game up there. I’ve never even been to Canada. Went to Alaska once. Re-painted a nursing home with some Virginia Tech fans. I remember there were signs in their kitchen that said, “Let’s all go easy on the butter.”
Before games, does somebody with the Raptors or the Air Canada Centre get on the mic and shout, “Who are you?” at the fans? Do they all respond with, “We the north.”? I hope they do that. That would make me feel really good.
drawllin 