LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 21: Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)
If anyone on this Toronto Raptors roster was penciled in as the favorite to break DeMar DeRozan’s franchise single-game scoring record of 52 points, veteran point guard Kyle Lowry seemed like the most likely choice. However, during a 123-108 win against the Orlando Magic, it was Fred VanVleet who topped that mark with 54 points despite shooting just 23 times in the game.
While tributes for VanVleet poured in from all corners of the basketball world, the most important came from VanVleet’s current and former teammates, as DeRozan has to praise the former undrafted free agent for rewriting the record book in one of the most efficient shooting performances of all time.