Victor Oladipo facts for kids
_crop.jpg)
Oladipo with the Indiana Pacers in 2018
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 4, 1992 Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S. |
| High school | DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Maryland) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 213 lb (97 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Indiana (2010–2013) |
| NBA Draft | 2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall |
| Selected by the Orlando Magic | |
| Pro career | 2013–2023 |
| Career history | |
| 2013–2016 | Orlando Magic |
| 2016–2017 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2017–2021 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2021 | Houston Rockets |
| 2021–2023 | Miami Heat |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 8,503 (16.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,245 (4.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,970 (3.9 apg) |
Victor Oladipo (born May 4, 1992) is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. He played for 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Victor is now a sports analyst for ESPN.
Oladipo played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. In the 2012–2013 season, he was named the Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year. He also won the Co-NABC Defensive Player of the Year award. He was chosen as a first-team All-American. That year, he also won the Adolph Rupp Trophy, given to the top player in men's NCAA Division I basketball.
The Orlando Magic picked Oladipo as the second overall player in the 2013 NBA draft. He was later named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In 2016, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then, in 2017, he moved to the Indiana Pacers. In his first season with Indiana, he became an NBA All-Star for the first time. He also led the league in steals and won the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
Even though he had injuries in the 2018–19 season, Oladipo was still chosen as an Eastern Conference All-Star for the second year in a row. In 2021, he was traded to the Houston Rockets, and then to the Miami Heat just two months later. He had surgery and returned to play in March 2022.
Besides basketball, Oladipo is also a singer. He released an EP called Songs for You in 2017. His first full album, V.O., came out in 2018. In 2023, he released an afrobeats-inspired EP called TUNDE. He also appeared on The Masked Singer as "Thingamajig" in season 2, finishing in fifth place.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Victor Oladipo was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. He grew up in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. His parents are from Nigeria. His mother is a nurse. They moved to the United States in 1985 and got married there. Victor has three sisters, including a pair of twins.
High School Basketball
Victor played basketball at St. Jerome Academy. Then he went to DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. In his senior year, he was a great player. He averaged almost 12 points, over 10 rebounds, and nearly 4 blocks per game.
He helped DeMatha win 32 games and only lose 4. They also won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and City championships. He was named to the Washington Post 2010 All-Met First Team. Experts like Rivals.com and ESPN ranked him as one of the top shooting guards in his class.
College Basketball Journey
Oladipo chose to play basketball at Indiana University Bloomington. He wanted to study sports communication broadcasting. He turned down offers from other big schools. He said that Bloomington, Indiana, was a "basketball town," which was perfect for him.
During his first year (2010–11), Oladipo played in 32 games. He averaged 7.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. He shot very well, making 54.7% of his shots. He got his first start against Penn State and scored 14 points.
In his second year (2011–12), he improved a lot. He averaged 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds. Many people called him Indiana's "most improved player." He was also known as the team's best defender. His team made it to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament.
In his junior year (2012–13), Oladipo became a huge star. He was known for his amazing defense and exciting dunks. He helped the Indiana Hoosiers win the Big Ten championship. He was one of the best players in the country. He shot 61.4% from the field, which was very high for a guard.
After this great season, Oladipo won many awards. He was named the Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year. He also won the National Co-Defensive Player of the Year. He was chosen as a first-team All-American. He was also named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Professional Basketball Career
Orlando Magic (2013–2016)
On April 9, 2013, Oladipo decided to leave college early and enter the 2013 NBA draft. Experts thought he would be one of the top 15 players picked. The Orlando Magic chose him as the second overall pick.
When the new NBA players were surveyed, they voted Oladipo as the best defender. They also thought he might be the Rookie of the Year.
On December 3, 2013, Oladipo got his first "triple-double." This means he had at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in one game. He scored 26 points, had 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Another rookie, Michael Carter-Williams, also got a triple-double in the same game. This was the first time two rookies did this in the same NBA game!
In 2014, Oladipo broke a bone in his face during practice. He had to wear a mask when he returned to play. In 2015, he competed in the NBA All-Star Weekend's Slam Dunk Contest. He finished second. On March 4, 2015, he scored a career-high 38 points against the Phoenix Suns.
On October 30, 2015, he got his second triple-double. He had 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. He even hit a shot at the buzzer to send the game into double overtime! On March 18, 2016, he scored a new career-high of 45 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2016–2017)
On June 23, 2016, Oladipo was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He made his debut for the Thunder on October 26, scoring 10 points. He later signed a big four-year contract with the team. He missed some games in December due to a wrist injury.
Indiana Pacers (2017–2021)
.jpg)
On July 6, 2017, Oladipo was traded to the Indiana Pacers. In his first game with the Pacers, he scored 22 points. On December 10, he scored a career-high 47 points in an overtime win. He was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve in January 2018.
In the playoffs, Oladipo played great. In one game, he scored 32 points. In another, he got his first playoff triple-double with 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.
On June 25, 2018, Oladipo won the NBA Most Improved Player Award. He averaged 23.1 points per game and led the NBA in steals. He also made the All-NBA Third Team and the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
In the 2018–19 season, Oladipo suffered a serious knee injury in January 2019. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. Even with the injury, he was still chosen as an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve.
He returned to play on January 29, 2020, after 371 days. He scored 9 points and made a game-tying three-pointer in an overtime win. He dedicated the shot to Kobe Bryant and others who had recently passed away.
Houston Rockets (2021)
On January 16, 2021, Oladipo was traded to the Houston Rockets. He played 20 games for the Rockets, averaging 21 points. He turned down a contract extension from them.
Miami Heat (2021–2023)
On March 25, 2021, Oladipo was traded to the Miami Heat. He played only four games before needing surgery on his right quadriceps tendon.
He re-signed with the Heat in August 2021. He returned to play on March 7, 2022. In the last game of the regular season, he scored a season-high 40 points.
In July 2022, Oladipo re-signed with the Heat again. On April 23, 2023, he suffered another serious knee injury during a playoff game. The Heat made it to the NBA Finals without him, but lost.
In July 2023, Oladipo was traded back to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then, in October, he was traded to the Houston Rockets again. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in February 2024, but was waived (released) by them a week later without playing any games.
Life After Basketball
On October 10, 2024, Victor Oladipo joined ESPN as a sports analyst. This means he now shares his opinions and knowledge about sports on TV.
Player Style
Oladipo is a shooting guard who can also play point guard. His coaches often said his success came from his hard work. He was known for his exciting dunks.
On offense, Oladipo could drive to the basket very fast. His outside shooting also got better each year. On defense, he was known as a "lockdown" defender. He could guard different positions because he was quick and strong. He was also good at getting rebounds.
Television Appearance
In 2019, Oladipo was on season two of The Masked Singer. He performed as "Thingamajig."
Personal Life
Victor Oladipo is a strong Catholic. He has a daughter named Naomi, who was born in 2022.
