NBA ALL-STAR MEDIA DAY

February 19, 2022

Fred VanVleet

Media Day Press Conference

Q. Double rim or no net?

FRED VANVLEET: Double rim.

Q. Why?

FRED VANVLEET: I don't know, I just need to see the net move. I need to see the net -- that gives the rim a different look. I have more experience on double rims than no nets.

Q. Who's the most explosive point guard in the NBA right now?

FRED VANVLEET: Ja Morant.

Q. Why is that?

FRED VANVLEET: Have you watched him? I mean, he's just -- he's a special athlete, the quickness, the angles, obviously the vertical, the balance, and he just -- he can just go. He can run past you with the ball, without the ball. I feel like he can touch the shot clock. He's just a special talent.

Q. How special is this for you to be in the position as an All-Star?

FRED VANVLEET: I think my message is always the same. First and foremost I will say I always felt like this, even before it was a reality, so I can't make somebody feel what I felt in my heart, but at the same time a lot of that came from the work that I put in, so I worked so hard that I don't have a choice but to believe in myself. It's like if you were a bodybuilder and you go to the gym and you lift weights every day and you've got a six pack, you're going to walk around with your shirt off on vacation and you're going to post that on the 'Gram and all that.

It's the same for me; I've worked so hard on my craft and I've dedicated my life to it. I don't have a choice but to carry that confidence, otherwise I'm wasting my time. My message is always the same, work extremely hard, believe in yourself, and whatever you get is what you were supposed to get. Everybody's path is different and you've got to judge your own success off of what that means for you. What's for you is for you and run your race.

Q. What are your thoughts on Tyrese Haliburton and him getting traded?

FRED VANVLEET: Yeah, I never pretend to act like I know what management is thinking because we've seen some things that we might not understand. We don't know what they were going for. They've got to evaluate their team as best as possible. I was surprised for sure. I definitely am a fan of his game. I think he'll have a good chance to show what he can do in Indiana, and I think that hopefully Sac will be better for it and it will work out for everybody, but he's definitely a special young talent. I think he's going to be one of them next young point guards that you see take a big step.