“Bet on yourself” is just something that describes my life and my experiences.” That’s how Fred VanVleet sums it all up. No fluff, just truth. It’s the kind of phrase you hear a lot in sports, but when Fred says it, it hits harder—it feels earned. Picture a kid undersized and overlooked, but carrying himself like a giant. No five-star offers. No guaranteed future. Just heart, grit, and a mother who rode every wave with him. That phrase—bet on yourself—wasn’t a cute slogan. It was survival. A mindset. And for Fred, it was personal. But this mindset wasn’t easy to create. There were tons of people behind his success. So, let’s look at each one of them. Basically, his family.
Who are Fred VanVleet’s parents? What’s their nationality?
Fred VanVleet was born to Fred Manning and Susan (Sue) VanVleet in Illinois. His father, Fred Manning, was tragically shot and killed when Fred was just five. So after a few years, his mother got married to Joe Danforth, who was a police officer and helped raise him. Talking about his parents’ nationality, they are Americans by citizenship, but their ethnicity seems mixed.
However, there’s a silence around his father’s past, and that makes his fans wonder—was it too painful to revisit? Or maybe just too complicated to explain in interviews. Either way, Fred’s story carries weight.
Who is Fred VanVleet’s late father, Fred Manning?
Not much is known about Fred VanVleet’s biological father, Fred Manning. As we’ve seen, people mostly mention his name in passing, usually tied to one painful memory. Another man shot and killed Manning in his apartment when the hooper was just five years old—twice. That kind of loss doesn’t leave quietly. Fred once said he felt “super numb” after hearing the news.
After Manning’s death, Fred’s mom, Susan, moved in with her parents. For a while, life was quiet, but uncertain. Stability eventually came in the form of Joe Danforth, a Rockford police officer and the man who became Fred’s stepfather. He was a police man, so he came in with rules, discipline, and a military-style approach.
This wasn’t easy for the Houston Rockets guard to make. He was hot-headed, emotional, and stubborn to the core. He admits it himself. In his own words from The Pivot Podcast: “It was tough at first, just being the stubborn young kid. You know, he really took a hot ball of fire. I was more emotional, hot-headed back then. He just really taught me how to be a man. I didn’t appreciate it till the first year of my college.”
You can tell Fred’s not sugarcoating it. The dynamic between them was tense. Lots of butting heads. Lots of early mornings. Joe had Fred doing 6 a.m. YMCA workouts and AAU basketball summers, while still balancing school and chores. It was old-school parenting—no shortcuts, no excuses.
They clashed for years. Fred’s admitted, “We butted heads all through childhood. Then, when I went away to school, I got a greater appreciation for the lessons and things he instilled in me. So, it was cool to see our relationship come full circle. But when I was nine, ten, eleven, I hated him.”
He’s quite honest about that and that’s what makes their story real. A kid from Rockford, surrounded by gangs like the Vice Lords and Wacos. One of his eighth-grade classmates, Spider, was gunned down. His stepdad was at the scene. That moment changed things. Joe got even stricter. He didn’t just warn Fred, he showed him what life on the streets looked like.
Looking at Fred now—an NBA champion, multi-millionaire, and respected leader—it’s clear that Joe’s way of doing things had an effect. It’s easy to judge from the outside, but when you grow up in a place where violence is normal, being soft isn’t always an option. Joe wasn’t perfect. But he showed up, stayed, and tried to bring some order to the chaos. That matters. Fred Manning’s story may be quiet, but Danforth’s is louder, more complex, and left a mark. It did take a village. But Joe was often the one leading the way. And we shouldn’t forget his mother. Susan played a big role in her son’s success too. So let’s look at her side of the story.
Who is Fred VanVleet’s mother, Susan? What does she do?
Susan VanVleet, now Susan Danforth, isn’t famous, but she’s the reason Fred’s here. She raised two boys on her own in Rockford, Illinois after being left alone. Susandn’t panic. She got to work.
She’s never had a flashy job title. Honestly, no one talks about what she “does” in terms of work. But raising two boys alone? That’s full-time. More than full-time, actually. And even now, she’s still in the mix—literally. She rode the bus with 113 kids to see her son play the Bucks. And that’s just who Susan is.
Fred’s never hidden how much she means to him. You can hear it when he talks. “My mom asked me, ‘Do you know how many kids are coming?’ I didn’t know until (Dec. 16.) I just let my mom do her thing with the foundation, and we have a good little team. They’ve been doing some good stuff,” he said, smiling.
She didn’t raise a perfect kid, though. He had his fire, especially on the court. Susan remembers sitting in the bleachers, cringing. “I think of some of those ‘proud parent’ moments in the bleachers. When your kid is out there yelling (expletives), and you’re like, ‘Oh God,’ “she said. There were always talks after the games. The talks were mostly, how you could have handled that better type of talk.
The 1x NBA All-Star wasn’t just athletic—he was serious, intense, even as a kid. “He was a real serious child, an observer, and very thoughtful,” Susan said. He took leadership early, but sometimes it tipped into attitude. She had to guide him gently. “There’s such a fine line between being a leader and being assertive, and being a jerk,” she said.
She helped him walk that line. That’s part of why Fred leads the way he does now—fiery, but grounded. You don’t get that without someone in your corner telling you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it. Ok, now that we have seen his parents, let’s look at his siblings. Let’s see what they do? Where are they? And many more things.
Fred VanVleet brothers: How many siblings does the Rockets star have?
Fred VanVleet has a big family—three brothers and two sisters. It’s loud, close-knit, and full of energy. There’s this thing about his siblings where all his brothers are basketball guys in one way or another. That’s probably where that competitive streak comes from. He’s got Darnell VanVleet, J.D. Danforth, and another J.D.—yep, two brothers with the same initials.
Darnell’s the oldest. He played varsity hoops at Rockford Auburn, graduated in 2009. These days, he’s way past the court—he works in sports professionally and sits on the Special Advisory Board at Green Mountain. He lives in British Columbia now, raising his daughter Nellie.
Then there’s J.D. Danforth, who is actually Fred’s stepbrother. He’s based in Houston, runs training sessions for ballers trying to level up. Fred trains with him every offseason. They’re currently focused on downhill counters and shot balance. That’s real family support.
Fred’s not the only athlete in the family. Both brothers earned college scholarships. Talent clearly runs deep. But what sticks more than skill is how tight they are. And yep, he’s got two sisters too—Alexis and Aaliyah. Not as public-facing, but still part of the VanVleet squad. Imagine growing up in a house with total chaos, noise, ball, arguments, team dinners, and big dreams. And now they’re all still rolling together. That’s rare. That’s cool.
The post Who Are Fred VanVleet’s Parents? Know More About the Rockets Star’s Late Father and His Family Background appeared first on EssentiallySports.