It’s easy for Wichita State fans to love Fred VanVleet for what he accomplished on a basketball court, but that’s only part of the reason why the former Shocker is so revered in Wichita.
The adoration from Wichita was evident over the weekend during VanVleet’s first public return to Wichita. Many fans waited for over an hour in 90-degree heat to attend VanVleet’s pop-shop in the Waterfront that was selling exclusive Shocker-themed apparel.
It wasn’t just die-hard Shocker fans, either. There was an elementary school teacher who respected VanVleet for being a role model for children. There was a father who brought his basketball-playing sons to show them the Toronto Raptors guard’s humility in person.