Raptors' VanVleet: "Too much real sh*t going on" to cry about All-Star snub

Feb 24 2021, 4:55 pm

The Toronto Raptors will have no representatives at this year’s All-Star game in Atlanta, ending a seven-year streak.

Fred VanVleet was considered by many to be the Raptors’ best shot of getting an All-Star this season, but no dice.

“Obviously, I’m human, I’m disappointed,” VanVleet told reporters following the Raptors’ 109-102 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers. “As much as it doesn’t matter, it does matter, if that makes sense. I’m not gonna lie and say, oh, I don’t care. Obviously, I care, and it’s something that I want to be a part of someday.”

“There’s too much real shit going on in the world for me to be crying about [not] making the All-Star Game.”

After the starters were unveiled last week, the NBA coaches selected 14 reserves, seven from each conference.

“This is not going to be my last year being up for All-Star,” VanVleet added. “I think I was very close, and all the guys that made it were very deserving. That’s the case every year. I’ll keep getting better and give myself a better case next year.”

VanVleet is averaging 19.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds so far this season.

“I’m very disappointed,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. “I was trying to stop the narrative. The narrative that I kept hearing was oh, if you guys wouldn’t have had such a bad start. Well, the voting just ended yesterday, I mean we’re like 14-7 in our last 21 [games]. I mean, were you still stuck on our 2-8 start?”

“I take nothing away from the guys that made it. I’m sure there’s some other guys on other teams that are very disappointed as well, but I think he’s played his guts out and our team’s played pretty well and he’s been a big reason for it.”

As for what VanVleet will be doing with his time off?

“I’ll probably be on the beach for those couple days,” he said.

Jacob WhiteJacob White

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