By David Hill, Staff Writer
If you were to search Rockets guard Fred VanVleet’s account on X, the first thing you’ll likely notice is a pinned post from June 2016 with the caption, “Bet on yourself.”
It’s a phrase that fits the career trajectory of VanVleet, who overcame the challenges of being an undrafted rookie to become a legitimate starting point guard entering his 10th season.
Last season, he had to conquer more adversity, dealing with a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee that he suffered last September and that kept him sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season.
While his impact on the team was still felt on the bench, his presence on the court was irreplaceable, as the offensive highs and lows told the tale of the Rockets’ season.
Now, a year removed from not being able to walk on his own, VanVleet walked to the podium with a smile and excitement about his return.
The road back to health came with no easy task, as this was the first season-ending surgery for the veteran guard in his career.
“The injury from start to finish, the surgery, and the season was not really fun for any of us. And not being able to be out there with the guys to at least suffer with them, just kind of watching as a spectator was tough for me individually.” VanVleet said during Rockets media day.
VanVleet began ramping up his on-court workouts this summer and was eventually cleared to participate in five-on-five scrimmages with teammates. Rockets general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka announced at Rockets media day that he will not play on the second night of back-to-backs to start the season.
Even in workouts, VanVleet acknowledges the differences in his movements from before his knee surgery to now, and the gradual process it’ll take to regain his regular form.
“There’s obviously a difference in now and pre-injury, but I feel really strong and confident out there on the court, and it’s just a matter of getting those reps underneath me and tying the mind-body connection back together and all those things,” VanVleet said. “It will be a process for me individually, but I’m confident that I’ll be alright out there.”
Reed Sheppard, who leaned heavily on VanVleet’s mentorship during his role increase last season, was one of the teammates around VanVleet this summer and attests to his improvement on the court during this buildup.
“Fred looks great,” Sheppard said. “He does things every day that’s like, ‘All right, he’s getting back, he’s looking really good.’ He had a move yesterday, and I went up and grabbed him and was like, ‘Man, Freddy, that looks good. Haven’t seen that one since my rookie year.’”
VanVleet’s injury caused a domino effect of players stepping into unfamiliar roles, including one as the team’s primary distributor, who can create easy points for Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr., while also providing the calming presence of a veteran on the floor who can restore order when games become chaotic.
“I think that we could do a better job of putting each other in positions to be successful,” VanVleet said. “This team was constructed to have me and Steven (Adams) on the floor and not on the bench in street clothes.
“So I think there’s a lot of areas where things will just naturally slide back into the way they’re supposed to be and the way this team was designed.”
Though getting back into the rotation doesn’t fix the offense itself, VanVleet believes it will eventually improve.
“It’s not that simple, quite frankly. I do think that we will look like a different group.”
“My identity is not tied to the result, but I’m confident that it’ll look better. And I’m confident in the guys who went through the fire on the court last year are going to come out of that better this year, which we’ve already seen this summer,” VanVleet said.
One thing is clear: Everyone is excited to see No. 5 back, including new teammate and sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanović, who said VanVleet is the player he’s most looking forward to playing alongside on this roster.
“ I think he’s one of the old-school point guards…I’m really excited about him. I’ve been following his growth since (his) Toronto days and his story and career.” Bogdanović said.
Marcus Smart, a former foe from the days when both guards played in the Eastern Conference, is now teaming up with VanVleet in Houston.
“If you know Fred as a person and know Fred as a competitor, you know that Fred has a chip on his shoulder coming back.” Marcus Smart said.