Fred VanVleet watched and marvelled as DeMar DeRozan changed the way he played basketball, morphing from a pure scorer into something much more.
But what was more impressive to VanVleet was how his one-time Raptors teammate changed the NBA, and pro sports as a whole.
“He changed a billion-dollar business,” VanVleet said of the way DeRozan began an open and frank conversation about mental wellness among professional athletes. “He changed it pretty much single-handedly (by) speaking out. And obviously a lot more guys felt more comfortable, and that’s what it’s about …
“We’ll never know the impact, but we just know it’s a great impact on the league and on the guys and on players, coaching staff, whoever.