Victor Oladipo played basketball since he was a little child, but he would have been overlooked if it wasn’t for his explosive energy which he shows to this day, every time he is on the court. Throughout his career, he had very strong performances, played through many injuries, and became a triple-double threat. He proved himself to many teams, finding his way even in the most hopeless situations, and now he is awaiting to recover and enrich the roster of the Miami Heat.
Victor Oladipo – Early Life
Victor Oladipo was born on May 4th, 1992 in Silver Spring Maryland to immigrants from Nigeria and Sierra Leone, Joan Amanze Oladipo and Christopher Oladipto. Both of his parents worked in the medical field, Joan was a nurse, and Christopher public health executive for Prince George’s County. Victor has three sisters, Kristen, Kendra, and Victoria, the latter being his twin sister.
The family had strict rules when it came to going out or inviting other kids. The parents were worried about their children because they didn’t live in a safe area. Victor didn’t have anyone to practice with. He dribbled the ball in his basement and sneaked out of the house to play.
Victor Oladipo started to play basketball in kindergarten. At first, he was overlooked, but the first time he went onto the court for St. Jerome Academy, he surprised everyone with a dunk. He was an energetic kid but his gameplay was a little bit rough, it was clear that he needed a lot of training.
What high school did Victor Oladipo go to?
He was given this opportunity at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, where he averaged 11.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game in his senior year. He helped his school to reach the City championship and the team recorded 32-4 in the Catholic Athletic Conference. Oladipo was selected to the Washington Post 2010 All-Met First Team and the First Team All-WCAC.
Victor Oladipo – Indiana University
Victor Oladipo chose Indiana University because he fell in love with the town’s basketball atmosphere. During his freshman year, he started only 5 games but made appearances in 32. The season concluded with an average of 7.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.06 steals in 18.0 minutes per game. He improved during his second season and was considered the team’s best defender. The Indiana Hoosiers advanced to the fourth seed in the NCAA tournament but were ejected by the Kentucky Wildcats.
His junior year was by far the most successful and Victor Oladipo was their biggest star despite the team having a lot of great prospects. He started all of the 36 matches. He made incredible performances, for example stealing the ball and dunking on his opponent after, in a lethal fashion. The Indiana Hoosiers’ 2012–13 campaign was highlighted by Oladipo’s leadership, as they ended the season outright conference champions. When the regular season concluded Victor Oladpito was fourth in the country when it came to field goal percentage with 61.4. He received numerous awards and was a unanimous pick to the All-Big Ten first-team and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Victor Oladipo – Orlando Magic
Like many before him and many after, Victor Oladipo didn’t pursue his academic career and entered the 2013 NBA Draft, forgoing his senior year. He was the second overall pick and signed a rookie-scale contract with the Orlando Magic. Everyone had great expectations for Oladipo. He was picked by his rookie class as the one to have the best career (along with Kelly Olynyk).
Victor Oladpio started extremely strong, just on December 3, 2013, recording his first career triple-double. Interestingly, a rookie from Philadelphia 76ers also recorded a triple-double, making NBA history, as only two rookies recorded triple-doubles in the same game. This NBA season Oladipo was selected to take part in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge and finished second for the Rookie of the Year Award.
Sadly, the next season with the Magic started with a serious injury. Oladipo suffered a facial fracture in practice and was ruled out until November. Despite this, Orlando Magic extended the rookie scale contract for the third year. It was a great choice because when Oladipo recovered, he posted 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists while wearing a protective face mask in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Later, he recorded his first career back-to-back thirty-plus points. He topped that by scoring a career-high 38 points on March 4, 2015.
The next season Victor Oladipo posted his second career triple-double, scoring 21 points, making 13 rebounds, and giving 10 assists. In this game, he also scored a three-pointer buzzer-beater and sent the game into overtime. The Magic lost anyways and after this remarkable game on October 25, 2015, Oladipo’s performance significantly dropped.
He was sent to the bench and wasn’t a part of the starting roster until January 4th, 2016. In March, he topped his career-high and scored 45 points in a loss to Cleveland Cavaliers. Sadly, he had to miss the final three matches of the tournament because of a concussion.
Victor Oladipo – Oklahoma City Thunder
Despite the Magic extending Oladipo’s deal for the 2016-2017 season, he was traded to Oklahoma City Thunder. He dropped 10 points in the 26 minutes he played in his debut. Thunder also extended his contract to four years but he wouldn’t be a part of their team for that long. He missed nine games in December because of a right wrist injury. The medical problems continued in February and March when he missed six games due to back spasms.
Victor Oladipo – Indiana Pacers
For the 2017-18 season, Oladipo was traded to the Pacers. He was to stay with them longer, as clearly it was the right fit. He debuted with 22 points, five rebounds, four steals and four assists. Later he scored as high as 23 points and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the October 23-29 week.
On December 10, he topped his career-high with 47 points, along with seven rebounds and six assists, and subsequently won Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time this season. His run with the Pacers gained him an All-Star spot in the Eastern Conference reserve. Later, he went on a stealing streak, making at least one in 56 games.
The Pacers went to the playoffs, where Oladipo scored 32 points in game one. In game 6, Oladipo made his first triple-double. The Pacers lost Game 7 but not without a fight, as Oladipo posted 30 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and three steals. He was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player this year and to the NBA All-Defensive Team. He set his career high in almost every statistical category.
The 2018-19 season started promisingly with a comeback three-pointer against the Boston Celtics but it turned out to be very unlucky. Victor Oladipo left the November 17th game with a right knee injury which ruled him out for 11 games.
On January 4, he recorded 36 points with a three-point with 0.3 seconds left in overtime to help the Pacers defeat the Chicago Bulls 119–116. The same month, he injured his knee again. He was off for the rest of the season but still earned the Eastern Conference All-Star reserve spot.
While waiting for his knee to heal, Oladipo played with Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Pacer’s G-League Affiliate. He got back into the NBA after 371 days after the initial injury. He was put on the bench but made frequent appearances. When the season was over it was unclear if Oladipo would sit out the following one.
Victor Oladipo – Houston Rockets
Victor Oladipo was traded to the Rockets for the 2020-21 season. He only played 20 matches with them and he averaged 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Victor Oladipo – Miami Heat
For the remainder of the 2020-21 season, Victor Oladipo was traded to the Miami Heat and scored 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists in his 23-minute season debut against the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately, he had to undergo second quadriceps tendon surgery. He missed preseason matches and despite initial optimism that he will be able to participate in the regular season, he has yet to make an appearance in the 2021-22 games. Miami Heat officials are fully aware of how important the rehab process is and wait for the two-time All-Star to completely recover.
Where did Victor Oladipo play high school basketball?
From an early age, Victor showed immense talent on the basketball court. He began honing his skills at DeMatha Catholic High School, one of the nation’s premier basketball programs.
Where is Victor Oladipo from?
Victor Oladipo was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, but his parents are Nigerian immigrants who came to the United States in 1985. His father, Christopher Oladipo, is a public health executive, while his mother, Joan Amanze-Oladipo, is a nurse. Victor has two older sisters, Kristine and Victoria.
Does Victor Oladipo have a kid?
No, Victor Oladipo does not have any kids. The Indiana Pacers star is currently unmarried and does not have any children. Oladipo is focused on his basketball career and has said that he is not ready to start a family just yet.
