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Greivis Vasquez excited to make his mark in Toronto
The ever-confident Greivis Vasquez has even more reason to feel as though he is on top of the world these days.
The 27-year-old Venezuelan guard will see a significant bump in pay after signing a two-year, $13 Million deal to stay in Toronto where he arrived on Dec. 9 as part of a major trade which sent Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings.
News of the signing broke on Wednesday.
After helping the Raptors to their first playoff appearance since the 2007-08 season, Vasquez was asked to be an ambassador for the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan Am Games - a role he was excited to assume and which has helped further solidify his attachment to a city he has come to love over the past seven months.
In light of these positives, Raptors brass and fans alike will be pleased to know that Vasquez's message track is not about the dollar - but rather the almighty "W".
"I am all about winning and have always been like that," said Vasquez ahead of appearances Friday and Saturday at Nathan Phillips Square as part of a one-year countdown to the Pan/Parapan Am Games.
"The negotiations went well, the team management - they were honest with me and I was honest with them. Once we came to a middle point, it was a no-brainer for me. It was important to comeback and stay with same group of guys. It came down to what I have here in Toronto, how much I love the city, my family loves the city and what we are trying to do to create a winning environment, those are the most important things."
In 79 games last season, Vasquez played an average of 22.5 minutes, recording 9.6 points and 4.1 assists with a .421 field goal percentage. Of those games, 61 were played as a Raptor where he was primarily utilized as a point guard on the second unit behind starter Kyle Lowry.
Vasquez, makes no bones about his competency as a go-to guy and while it seems he will continue in the same role as a backup, he looks forward to playing on the first unit alongside Lowry as he did at times last season.
"Me and coach Casey got a good relationship, open communication," Vasquez said. "He can talk to me, he knows what I can do. I am not afraid of minutes. I am a starting point guard. I know at times I am going to play with Kyle. You have to be ready when your name is called."
As for any potential issues regarding an ankle injury that he played through last season, Vasquez is hoping his off-season conditioning will prevent any further problems.
"I hired my own trainer, (he is available) to work with me 24/7, our team has probably has the best training staff in the NBA so I am not really afraid of my ankle," he said. "Even if my ankle has hurt (in the past), I never missed games. I have two years to prove to anyone that I have no health problems."
"I am glad he got on our team, a fellow South American. I am here to support him and help him in any way," Vasquez said. "Basketball has grown in South America with players like (Leandro) Barbosa, (Tiago) Splitter and Nene (Hilario).
Vasquez speaks glowingly about the support he has received from the Hispanic community in Toronto which in part fuelled his desire to re-sign with the Raptors.
"Toronto in general is a very diverse city, there is a big Venezuelan community, the Hispanic community supports me and has embraced my career," he said. "I embrace my culture, I am happy to rep them in any way, to motivate them in any way - if I can make it they can too, at any level, in any aspect in life."
Provided Vasquez avoids a major injury and is not part of another trade (he has been dealt three times since being selected in the first-round of the 2010 NBA draft), by the time this two-year extension expires, it will be his longest tenure in one city. His aim is to lay down roots.
"Two- years is gonna' go by quick, (then) it's time to get a new deal. I hope to be in Toronto and want to be here for the rest of my career."
Follow Neil Acharya on Twitter: @Neil_Acharya
