Raptors' Fred VanVleet named an All-Star reserve

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has been selected as a reserve for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

He was voted in for the first time in his career by a panel of the NBA's 30 head coaches.

VanVleet is the eighth player in Raptors franchise history to be named an all-star and just the fourth undrafted player in the NBA's modern era to be selected to the prestigious mid-season showcase.

VanVleet, 27, is in the midst of his best season as a pro, averaging career highs in points (21.5), assists (7.0), rebounds (4.7) and minutes played (38.6) per game as he's helped the Raptors to a 26-23 record.

He is the first Raptor selected to the all-star game since Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry were picked in 2020.

Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said Thursday that he saw echoes of Lowry's game early in VanVleet's career.

A native of Rockford, Ill., VanVleet famously went undrafted in 2016, despite enjoying a strong four-year collegiate career at Wichita State. He signed with the Raptors' Summer League team in 2016 and earned a multi-year contract with Toronto.

In 2019, VanVleet helped the Raptors win the NBA championship.

He signed a reported four-year, $85-million US contract with Toronto in November 2020.