Fred VanVleet Shared A Heartfelt Goodbye To Toronto & Drake Took The Opportunity To Troll Him
NBA star Fred VanVleet is saying goodbye to Toronto as he leaves the Toronto Raptors for the Houston Rockets, but Drake isn't letting him go without a laugh.
The 29-year-old point guard is leaving Toronto after seven years with the Raptors for a $130 million three-year contract with the Rockets, but VanVleet hasn't forgotten about his roots with the 6ix yet.
VanVleet posted a heartfelt goodbye to Toronto on his Instagram, where he thanked the city, the franchise and Canada.
"Words can’t do justice to how thankful I am to the city that watched me grow from a young kid praying for a chance to a NBA CHAMPION, all-star, and a father of 3! I am forever indebted to the franchise that gave me a shot when no one else would," wrote VanVleet in his Instagram post.
"We built things together that can never be broken, and accomplished things that will stand forever," the athlete continued.
"I went from the fans not knowing who I was, to fan favorite, to most hated 🤣 and I’m thankful for every second of it. To the city, franchise, and country that watched me grow every step of the way - THANK YOU🙏🏽❤️."
Fans flooded the player's comments, sending him well wishes and telling him to "bet on himself," echoing back his signature catchphrase.
But the star couldn't leave Toronto without the Raptor's unofficial mascot Drake sending him off with a joke.
"My look alike…the love is forever thank you for your character and your contributions over the years the city will never forget!!! Good luck with everything on the Guangdong Dragons……..I mean the Rockets," Drake commented on the post, intentionally referencing the wrong team.
Although he may have actually meant the Guangdong Southern Tigers, a team in the Chinese Basketball Association, according to NBC Chicago.
VanVleet responded to the message, writing, "@champagnepapi relax."
Drake has been a major supporter of VanVleet and his hometown team over the year, so the light-hearted troll was most definitely coming from a place of love.
Back in October, the American shared that he feels like an "honorary Canadian" and was looking into possibly getting citizenship.
"My daughter's Canadian. She was born in Toronto," he explained. "Toronto's been great, man it's been good for me and my family. The country has embraced me. I couldn't ask for a better reception."
Toronto will miss you, Fred!
