Fred VanVleet addresses why he unfollowed teammates, family on Instagram

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet raised some eyebrows when fans noticed he stopped following teammates and family on instagram. He clarified what's going on after the Raptors' win vs. the Lakers.

Video Transcript

- Fred. you look like you were pretty determined to get into the paint and get downhill right from the-- right from the jump today. And have that opened up anything else for you?

FRED VANVLEET: Oh, just continue to be aggressive. I think, when I have success in getting in the paint, get a couple of free throws, create shots for my teammates, so just want to make sure I was aggressive from the jump and find a way to get us a win.

- It's a rather professional approach to games. [INAUDIBLE].

Did you guys think about that when the game started, to stomp on the team and give them no hope, no light?

FRED VANVLEET: Yeah, I mean, we did what we were supposed to do. There's a couple of games this year where guys have been out. And we just didn't jump right away. And I think we did what we were supposed to do tonight, very professional, locked in from the jump ball, and just didn't really give them any chance to get going. They still play hard. They fought us really hard in the third quarter.

As you can expect, they've got a lot of pride for guys over there. But I was just happy with our effort and our intensity. And we just-- we did what we were supposed to do.

- Nick was talking the other day about, I think, the Orlando game where they were just defending you, getting really up in your face, and taking off your 3 point shot. Is this the adjustment to the adjustment? It's getting down in the paint?

FRED VANVLEET: Well, you just find the ways. There's always got to just find ways to continue to be successful. And there's this-- it's a balancing act of trying to run the show and score and make sure we're winning and make sure we're efficient. My teammates have been incredibly successful this year. OG is having a great year. So just finding ways to-- sometimes, you got to get out of the way.

But tonight, just being aggressive, I think I'm at my best when I'm playing downhill with the ball in my hand. So it was one of those nights tonight.

- Just asked Nick about the rotation. I mean, you know you're not the one that's putting it together. But this seems like the first stretch in a while where there's been kind of consecutive games where you've had the same starters and you've had the same kind of guys coming off the bench. Does that help you guys out there to kind of some consistency in terms of who's out there at any given time when you're coming in, when you're coming out?

FRED VANVLEET: Yes.

[LAUGHTER]

I mean, listen, that's what I'm going to do. So it's only so much I could say there. I would just say, yes, it's very helpful for us when there's consistency that way. But we trust Coach and the way he does it and his plan. But it's way easier, you know, this way.

- Why is it better? What difference does it make, I guess? Can you explain that?

FRED VANVLEET: [SIGHS] You're going to make me talk about it, huh?

- Well, I'm just curious, how does the consistency help?

FRED VANVLEET: I think the answer is in the question. Um--

- I'm sorry it was a long question.

FRED VANVLEET: Yeah, Josh had a great question, and he laid it all out there for you. Listen, you could quote me on that. The consistency helps. But I think, I mean, we're creatures of habit, routine, flow, energy. Like, basketball, it's just a rhythmic game. And there's just so much that goes into the mindset and just knowing things and knowing when your shots are coming, where they're coming from, your-- the time that you got out there and so much planning ahead that you got to do and flow and feel through the game.

But there is something to being ready at all times and being able to go. I know Coach likes to experiment that way. But it's-- we-- oh, hey, come on. You can have it if you're ready. Come on. But-- all right. But just-- yeah, it's easier when there's a flow.

- Thank you.

- Fred, I can't believe I'm asking you do this.

FRED VANVLEET: But-- don't do it, Mike. Don't do it. You are going to be the guy out of everybody-- OK, go ahead. I'm disappointing you.

- --as a grown man, adult kids, I can't believe I'm asking you, but--

FRED VANVLEET: Breaking my heart, man.

- The unfollows and follows on Instagram--

FRED VANVLEET: Breaking my heart, Mike. I just want you to know that. Look at me.

[LAUGHTER]

Breaking my heart, bro. Yeah, I mean, listen, the fact that we have to talk about this is crazy in itself. But, no, just trying to fight the algorithms, man. I'm checking my page, and it's like all shit that I don't follow. So there's like 1,000. And it's on Twitter and Instagram now too. So it's like, when I'm going up and down my feed, it's so many things that I'm not following that's just suggestions, suggestions, suggestions.

So stupid me. Let's unfollow everybody and see if it helped. It didn't help. Somebody caught wind of that and said, oh, I unfollowed all my teammates. I unfollowed my mom too. They didn't care about that part.

[LAUGHTER]

- But--

- You unfollowed Mike.

FRED VANVLEET: I don't think I never followed Mike. I got to work on Twitter next. But no, I mean, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less, man. I'm just going to take more than a couple of bad shooting games for me to lose my mind. And--

[LAUGHTER]

I know people are very interested in my personal life now, which is new for me. And I've got to be more aware of that. But I just take everything in stride. I'm a real person. And that was it, really. nothing more, nothing less. I didn't think it would be a big thing. I'm disgusted that Mike is the one that asked that question.

[LAUGHTER]

I expected more of you. Um--

- That was your problem.

FRED VANVLEET: Yeah, again, stupid me, right? So you live and you learn. It's nothing. I left the Toronto Raptors up there on purpose just so it wouldn't be taken out of context. But here we are. This is the new world that we live in. I got to adjust. And, you know, yeah, continue to figure out that part of it.

- Thank you, Fred. That was-- that was wonderful.

FRED VANVLEET: All right, great.

[LAUGHTER]

Thanks, guys.

- I really love that.

FRED VANVLEET: No, I'm good.

- It'll never happen again.