Fred VanVleet Says He Got A 'Headache' While Coaching The Raptors From The Sidelines
Fred has probably gained a whole new level of respect for Nick Nurse.
Fred VanVleet at a Raptors game.
If the professional footballer Fred VanVleet ever thought about coaching after he retires from the NBA, he's definitely having second thoughts after yelling at his teammates from the sidelines these past weeks.
The 28-year-old, who sat out five straight games due to knee soreness, stepped back onto the court on Wednesday to help the Raptors beat the San Antoni Spurs 119-104.
Despite being injured, VanVleet was anything but restful during his time off-court, becoming a second coach to his team.
"Once I had a hold of the game, that's kind of how all those relationships developed, especially me and Kyle, and DeMar, and those guys," VanVleet told reporters. "I would just be talking to them the entire game and being active on the bench, bringing energy and talking to the coaches."
Although he may be no stranger to being a vocal presence from the bench, Fred admitted that coaching Toronto's young roster wasn't the most pleasant experience.
"I didn't have as many headaches as a young player as I did over last week trying to coach and help the team without being on the court," VanVleet joked. "So that's a good thing. It's way more fun to be out there on the court, than it is to be on the sidelines."
It's no secret that VanVleet has taken up a leadership role in Toronto since the departure of veteran Kyle Lowry, often seen talking to his teammates in true big brother fashion.
"We said that in the beginning of the year, it's gonna be a learning curve and kind of figure out where we can be good," he concluded.