“I come from one of those communities that's forgotten about and not paid attention to. Growing up, there were a lot of times where I wished my community had certain things or people to come back and just shine a light on it or put money or time or resources into it, because it can change somebody's life.”

American professional basketball player

Fred VanVleet is an American professional basketball player in the NBA, and the current president of the National Basketball Players Association. He is known for his leadership on and off the court. VanVleet plays for the Houston Rockets. Beyond his role as a guard, he is recognized for representing fellow players through the NBPA presidency, a position that places him at the center of leaguewide labor and player issues.