Fred VanVleet was there to witness firsthand how Kawhi Leonard literally drove the Toronto Raptors to the NBA title, and then just left like nothing ever happened.
However, Kawhi's gangster year not only gave Fred his lone NBA championship ring, but it also helped him grow as a player. During the recent episode of "Unguarded", FVV discussed The Klaw making a claim that he initially thought was ridiculous, but later influenced his rise and success in the NBA.
" Kawhi Leonard changed my view on a lot of s—t, but it was one thing in particular that I overheard, and he didn't say it to me; I just overheard it. And it was a conversation that was being had, and the sentiment of the conversation, because I ain't going to quote nobody, but the sentiment of the conversation was when we won the championship in 2019 about all that s—t he's like 'I'm better than Kobe Bryant '" recalled VanVleet.
VanVleet said that his initial reaction was one of disbelief and opposition because he grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant. To him, the late Los Angeles Lakers icon was on a different pedestal. However, then Fred realized that what Kawhi said wasn't just a boast or a mere comparison. He was talking about his mindset.
Leonard did not want to play in Toronto. In fact, Fred said Kawhi admitted from Day 1 that he wasn't staying there past the season. But since he was there, the Klaw did what he was brought there for — to win the Raptors' first NBA championship. And then, once he had the job done, he left and went about his business as if nothing had happened.
"I started thinking to myself, like I know how I feel about where I stand because I'm on the court and I'm playing against some of these guys and the your favorites and who people might you know, what I'm saying? And when he said it, I said, 'Well, if I'm him,' and that right, just those three words changed how I look at the game," he added.
With Leonard gone the following season, many expected the Raptors to plummet. However, armed with a new outlook, VanVleet emerged as the third star on the team, after Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry , and was promoted to a starting role. The Raptors finished the regular season with a 53-19 record, second-best in the Eastern Conference. However, that campaign was delayed by the pandemic, and they ultimately lost in the second round to the Boston Celtics in the Orlando bubble.
Meanwhile, VanVleet increased his scoring average for the fifth straight year, upping his number to 19.6 points per game along with 4.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in 2020-21. The following year, Fred had his first 20-point campaign, and he earned his first All-Star game appearance. During the 2022-23 season, FVV averaged a career-high 7.2 assists per game while scoring 19.3 points per outing and establishing himself as one of the best guards in the league. That summer, he landed a massive three-year $130 million deal with the Rockets .
In his first two years in Houston , Fred put up 15.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while providing the team with veteran leadership and championship experience. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in September and is out for the season. However, looking back, VanVleet's career took off after Leonard left Toronto, leaving him with a valuable lesson.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
