Fred VanVleet: My Power Is Not Derived From My Son

One fun subplot of these NBA playoffs has been the resurgence of Raptors backup point guard Fred VanVleet. Through the first 15 games of the postseason, VanVleet was just one of the many Raptors role players struggling to find his shot while Kawhi Leonard dragged the team forward. He finally emerged from stasis in Game 4 of the conference finals, which occurred one day after the birth of son, and he basically hasn’t missed a shot since. This has led to all kinds of good-natured joking from fans and observers about how VanVleet’s turnaround can be credited to the arrival of his most recent progeny.

Yesterday, having perhaps grown tired of seeing his athletic feats credited to a small baby who cannot even speak or control its bowels, VanVleet set the record straight. The child gets no credit:

“I wish I could go back in time and not tell anyone that I had a kid,” VanVleet said. “So that I could get all the glory for turning around my performance.”

Your son will not forget this slight, Fred. You have made a great enemy.

[ Reddit]