Rockford fans cheer Fred VanVleet on to victory

DOUG SCHRODER PHOTO The Journal
Fans at the Rockford City Market pavilion watch and record Fred VanVleet in his post-game interview on national television after he helped the Toronto Raptors to their first ever NBA championship.

Fred VanVleet becomes Rockford’s first NBA Champion
By Doug Schroder
CORRESPONDENT
A crowd estimated by the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to be at around six thousand people came downtown to the Rockford City Market pavilion, temporarily also known as Jurassic Park RKFD, last Thursday night, June 13, to the NBA Finals Game 6 watch party.
This was a follow up to the NBA Finals Game 5 watch party, held at the same venue, which drew an estimated 3,500 fans on Monday, June 10. The Raptors had a chance to win that game on the last shot, but the shot bounced off the rim, resulting in the team falling by a score of 106-105 to close the series gap three games to two, and bringing on Game 6.
Fans were able to watch two jumbo screens setup for the events and cheer Rockford native Fred VanVleet and his Toronto Raptors teammates as they battled the Golden State Warriors for the NBA championship.
VanVleet did not disappoint in Game 6 as he continued draining 3s at key points in the game, with the last of his points coming from a 3 with a little under four minutes to go that gave the Raptors the lead for good.
Over the last nine Raptors playoff games VanVleet shot a blistering 53 percent on 30 for 57 shooting from 3-point range. VanVleet also set the NBA Finals record at 16 three-pointers for a player coming off the bench.
VanVleet finished Game 6 with 22 points, 12 of which came in the fourth quarter,
The exciting contest featured 18 lead changes, nine ties and neither team leading by more than nine points
In addition to his 3-point scoring prowess, VanVleet was credited with stifling Warriors superstar Stephen Curry on defense. Curry finished Game 6 with 21 points on just 6 of 17 shooting, going only 3 of 11 from downtown.
The final nine tenths of a second in the game was a little drawn out because of a technical and ensuing free throws, but when the final buzzer sounded the fans in Rockford let out a collective roar and jumped up and down wildly as the Raptors came away with a 114-110 victory and their first ever NBA championship.
One of the fans present at Jurassic Park RKFD was Toronto native Pawan Dhillon, a student set to graduate soon from the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, who had waited more than two decades for this time to come.
“I’ve been waiting since 1996 for this to happen,” declared Dhillon.
Dhillon looked forward to going back home for the victory party.
Winning an NBA championship was certainly a big added feather in VanVleet’s career cap. While in high school he led the Auburn Knights to a third place finish in the state tournament. In college he helped lead the Wichita State Shockers to a Final Four finish. Now that he has reached the pros he’s finally attained the status of champion.
VanVleets efforts did not go unnoticed by those in NBA circles. In NBA Finals MVP voting Kawhi Leonard earned ten of the eleven votes cast to get the title. The other vote was for our Fred VanVleet.
Through it all VanVleet has never forgotten his roots in Rockford and the fans that supported him. In an interview with ABC TV after the Game 6 victory he concluded with a message for Rockford.
“Rockford, Rockford, it’s all for you baby!” VanVleet said.
We thank you Fred for such a wonderful gift.
Two Jurassic Park RKFD attendees summed it up quite nicely what this means to many in the, especially the younger ones.
“He is such a role model. From the students coming up now, to the teenagers coming up now, to look at him and see that can come from Rockford. It doesn’t all have to be bad,” stated Bri Reed.
“They [the students] see that they can succeed coming from a place like this. They don’t have to feel like they are going to be held back from where they came from. They see the opportunity for great things,” added Moran Dolphin.