As Toronto Raptors teammates, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell were particularly close. “Growing up in this shit together we got way more memories than we can count,” VanVleet wrote in an emotional Instagram post after Powell was traded to the Blazers last year. Turns out they’ve got at least one more memory to add to the list.
VanVleet and Powell have teamed up for a limited-edition apparel collection dubbed “Bet on the Grind.” It was inspired by the players’ respective slogans and merch lines: “Bet on Yourself” and “Understand the Grind.”
The collection “pays homage to a friendship and those who have been counted out,” says a joint Instagram post by the two former teammates. It consists of five items, including two T-shirts, a hoodie, a varsity crewneck, and a dad hat.
Powell and VanVleet have similar underdog stories. Powell was a second-round pick in 2015, while VanVleet was an undrafted rookie in 2016. Both grinded their ways into roles on the Raptors’ bench mob before eventually cracking the starting lineup. The highlight of their six seasons together came in 2019 when they won Toronto its first-ever NBA championship.
Check out items from the Bet on the Grind collection below.
The Bet on the Grind capsule is available here.
