Victor Oladipo

Lore & Background

Oladipo was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic and went on to be named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016 and then traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2017. He became a first-time NBA All-Star, led the league in steals, was named to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Third Team, and won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in his first season with Indiana. Despite an injury-riddled 2018–19 season, including a season-ending injury in January 2019, Oladipo was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the second straight year. In January 2021, he was traded to the Houston Rockets, but was dealt to the Miami Heat just two months later. He underwent season-ending surgery after just four games with Miami and made his playing return in March 2022.

In Their Own Story

The arena is alive. You can feel it in the floor before you even see the court—a low, rolling hum of ten thousand people packed into the lower bowl, the smell of popcorn and cold air conditioning mixing with the sharp tang of polished hardwood. The Pacers are up by two, late in the fourth, and the ball is inbounded to the wing. And there he is. Number three. Black-and-gold, sleeves pulled down, eyes locked on the man guarding him. The defender shifts his weight, tries to mirror the stance. It's not enough. It was never going to be enough. The first step is a sound before it's a motion—a sharp *crack* of rubber on hardwood, and suddenly the defender is a background figure, a blur of white and navy being left in the gap. The crowd doesn't cheer yet; they're still processing. Then he's at the rim, the ball arcing, the net snapping, and the noise hits like a physical wave. He turns, points at the section behind him, and the whole arena detonates. For one suspended second, you believe this is the beginning of something enormous. You believe the Pacers are going to be *that* team. You believe it for four more seasons. And then the floor takes him, and the hum goes quiet, and the popcorn smell is the only thing left.

Reader's Guide

Oladipo was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and raised in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. His mother, a nurse, and father are both originally from Nigeria. He played CYO basketball at St. Jerome Academy and attended DeMatha High School. He played college basketball at Indiana University. He is also a singer, having released an EP, Songs for You, in 2017, his debut full-length album V.O. in 2018, and an afrobeats-inspired EP, TUNDE, in 2023.

Did You Know?

• Oladipo was drafted second overall in the 2013 NBA draft.
• He was traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2017.
• He suffered a season-ending injury in January 2019, but the source does not specify the exact injury type.
• He was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, not in Nigeria.