Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet thinking about sitting out for the rest of the season. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Did Raptors' Fred VanVleet consider sitting out the NBA restart?

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 6/29/20

Earlier this month, reports surfaced that Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving and other NBA players were questioning restarting the 2019-20 season at the bubble site of the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Florida amid the coronavirus pandemic and protests that have continued throughout the United States following the killing of George Floyd.

It appears Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet may have been among those petitioning against the resumption of play.

VanVleet spoke on the subject with reporters via a Monday videoconference:

"It's terrible timing. But that's been 2020 for us. We all know the right thing to do is to not play, to take a stand. Morally, yes, that makes sense. But life goes on. We're all young, Black guys. None of us want to give any money back. I don't think that we should. I think that money can be used in a number of different ways.

"This is not going to end this summer regardless, or over the next couple of months. This issue, racial injustice, social injustice, police brutality, all these things are not ending anytime soon. Our fight was long-term. That was part of my decision."But if the league, or more of my guys would have come together and said we didn't want to play, I would have sat out as well. I wouldn't have even fought it. I think most of us decided to play. It's something we'll have to live with. I trust that my heart's in the right place and I'm doing enough to make change."

As ESPN's Tim Bontemps noted, the Association is allowing players to wear customized jerseys to promote social-justice or charitable causes during the 22-team format.

When the English Premier League returned to play on June 17, footballers wore shirts with "Black Lives Matter" in place of their names for matches.

Per Bontemps, VanVleet also said one reason he's decided to play is that he'll be quarantined in Florida without family members for at least several weeks, which will give him time to assess the state's reactions to growing coronavirus cases.

Family members can't enter the NBA bubble until after the first round of the playoffs.

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