In a behind-the-scenes video compilation of his ACL surgery day, veteran guard Fred VanVleet is already talking about a comeback and a potential championship with the Houston Rockets.
“We’re gonna get another one,” a seemingly groggy VanVleet said from his hospital room. “We’re gonna get that Houston ring. A rocket’s gonna come out the bottom of it.”
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“We gotta bet back to the dance, man,” said VanVleet, who last made the NBA Finals when he won a championship with the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors. “It’s been a while.”
The video ends by showing an old social media post of VanVleet’s personal mantra: “Bet on yourself.”
On his Instagram story, VanVleet then posted a subsequent message:
Been getting so much love and prayers. Just know it’s fully and truly appreciated. Sometimes this (is) how the game go. It’s ups and downs to everything. Play the hand you dealt. If you know me, you know how I’m rocking. If you don’t, watch and see. Love.
It’s worth noting that VanVleet and the Rockets haven’t ruled out a potential return in the 2025-26 season, with the 2026 NBA playoffs set to begin in mid-April (approximately seven months from the initial date of VanVleet’s right knee injury).
That would be a quicker-than-normal return, but as someone who landed the largest contract for an undrafted player in league history, VanVleet knows he has defied the odds before.
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Now 31 years old, VanVleet averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 assists per game last season, and he remains highly respected as a veteran locker-room leader for the Rockets. In his absence, second-year prospect Reed Sheppard could have an opportunity to start at point guard.
More: Rockets guard Fred VanVleet undergoes ACL surgery, not ruled out for season
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: After surgery, Fred VanVleet is already talking about a Houston title