Oladipo finds home with Pacers
Ex-Magic guard starred at nearby Indiana University
Victor Oladipo loved his three years at Indiana University. Once an unheralded high-school recruit, Oladipo blossomed and helped the Hoosiers reach the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 twice. His energy and vibrant personality captivated the state’s college basketball fans.
Still, Oladipo said he never envisioned himself playing professional basketball for the Indiana Pacers. Why would he? The NBA has 30 teams, so the chances that he would land with the Pacers seemed remote.
But this past July, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Oladipo and teammate Domantas Sabonis to the Pacers for Paul George, and the move might have been the best thing that could have happened to Oladipo. The 2017-18 season is still in its early stages, but Oladipo is one of the Pacers’ linchpins.
“It’s very special,” Oladipo said. “I feel like I owe a lot to those fans, and those fans were there when things weren’t going well at IU, and they were there when they were going well. It’s like playing in front of my family every night. So it’s a great experience.”
The Orlando Magic will get a close-up view when they play Oladipo’s Pacers tonight on at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Sure, the longest-tenured Orlando Magic players — Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton and Nikola Vucevic — played alongside Oladipo in Indianapolis during Oladipo’s first three NBA seasons with the Magic. And Fournier, Gordon, Payton and Vucevic heard the warm ovations Oladipo received from fans.
These days, however, the cheers are louder.
Oladipo has helped the Pacers become one of the NBA’s biggest surprises. Averaging 22.8 points per game and shooting 44.9 percent from 3-point range, Oladipo has led Indiana to an 11-9 record.
“He’s playing great,” Gordon said. “He looks like he’s home. It looks like he’s found a home that he can stay [in] for a long time.”
On Nov. 20, Oladipo scored 29 points, grabbed nine rebounds and recorded seven steals as his Pacers beat the Magic 105-97 at Amway Center.
“Obviously, he’s playing at an All-Star level and his best basketball of his career,” Magic coach Frank Vogel said. “He’s always been a great basket attacker and slasher and defender. But the way he’s shooting the ball from the 3-point line is what I think separates where he’s been prior to this year.”
Pacers coach Nate McMillan said he has spent more time watching game film with Oladipo than any other player he’s ever coached. The impetus for those sessions came from Oladipo, who wanted to build a relationship with McMillan and understand what McMillan wants.
In June 2016, the Magic traded Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the draft rights to Sabonis to the Thunder for Serge Ibaka.
The trade was a disaster for Orlando — and the start of major chances for Oladipo.
Twelve and a half months later, the Thunder traded him, too.
“When you get traded, it’s shocking at first,” Oladipo said. “But … everything just settles in and you realize that it’s all God’s plan. Coming back to Indiana, I’m comfortable. I really didn’t have to learn too much of where I was going when I got there. Everything looked familiar. So it was pretty good. It was pretty cool. I’m just glad to be a Pacer. I feel like I’m home.” jrobbins@ orlandosentinel.com