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Fred VanVleet brings pride and a lasting effect to hometown of Rockford, Ill.

ROCKFORD, Ill.

What Fred VanVleet fights every time he tells his story, every time he goes to class, every time he plays basketball:

A city robbed of manufacturing jobs in the 1980s and economically damaged again in 2008. Crime. Racism. A city divided by the Rock River, east vs. west. A history of mediocre basketball at Auburn High, a history of Rockford athletes wasting their athletic gifts.

What Fred VanVleet accomplishes every time he tells his story, every time he goes to class, every time he plays basketball:

People believe somebody else can do it, too.