NBA mismatch: Dipo's Calvary - Bad knees and Nigerian roots built to endure

The statement that injuries are common in sports is often heard, and it's absolutely true. But so is the fact that some athletes are (un)luckier than the others. Some go through a career without any issues, while some spend more time recovering than playing. Sometimes, even an athlete's name is enough to make you think of injuries immediately.

The same goes for the hero of this story - Victor Oladipo.

Kehinde Babatunde Victor Oladipo was born 33 years ago in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, to Nigerian parents Christopher and Joan, who moved to America in 1985. During his school days, he was one of the most talented kids in the country, and the first pages of his "basketball diary" were written.

After playing for DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland and three years in college at Indiana University Bloomington, Oladipo entered the 2013 NBA Draft, where the Orlando Magic chose him as the second overall pick.

Oladipo in his rookie season with the Magic (©Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

His rookie year was a success. It took him only two months to record his first triple-double, he averaged 13.8 points, and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Michael Carter-Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers.

In the following campaign, he raised the bar, averaging 17.9 points per game and ending up second in the NBA All-Star Dunk Contest behind Zach LaVine. In October 2015, he extended the deal with the Magic for two more years, though his time in Orlando ended prematurely.

Following another successful season in which he led the team, alongside Nikola Vucevic, with 16 points per game, Oladipo was traded to Oklahoma City in June 2016. However, after only one season with the Thunder, Dipo was once again traded, this time back home, to Indiana, where he'd play the basketball of his life.

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The return home apparently felt good, as he was in for the best season in his career. He reached the Playoffs with the Pacers, where they lost to Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, although Oladipo averaged 22.7 points in the series.

In addition, he became an All-Star, was chosen in the All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First Team, was the league's steals leader, and earned the Most Improved Player Award.

Nevertheless, just around half a year later, on January 23, 2019, against the Toronto Raptors, Oladipo suffered a season-ending injury, rupturing a quad tendon in his right knee.

"It was tough. It felt like my soul left my body when I first got hurt, if I'm being honest with you. It was one of the saddest moments I've ever experienced as an individual. It felt like I died on that floor. It felt like death," Oladipo said, talking to Dwight Howard in his show Above The Rim with DH 12 via The SportsRush.

Oladipo moments after his severe knee injury (©Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The surgery and recovery were hard, but Victor didn't give up. He returned to the court on January 29, 2020, 371 days after the injury. Coming off the bench against the Chicago Bulls, he scored nine points in 21 minutes.

Still, during that and the following season, Oladipo made only 28 appearances in total, and the Pacers traded him to the Houston Rockets in January 2021. Yet, just three months later, the Texas franchise sent him to Miami.

Upon returning to Florida, he made only four appearances before deciding to undergo season-ending surgery, trying to resolve the issues with the knee injury he had had two years earlier, which caused him to miss the majority of the 2021/2022 campaign, playing only eight games.

Still, he ended that season in style, pouring on 40 points in a loss to Orlando, in Miami's last regular-season match.

Despite the injury-proneness, the Heat believed in him, extending his deal for two additional years. And they were right to do so, as Oladipo became an essential part of Miami's crew that reached the Playoffs. Still, the bad knees struck again...

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In Game 3 of the series against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 23, 2023, Oladipo tore the patellar tendon in his left knee, and that was the last match he played in the NBA so far.

Afterwards, Miami traded him to Oklahoma, the Thunder sent him to Houston, while the Rockets exchanged him with the Memphis Grizzlies for Steven Adams. Nevertheless, he didn't make an appearance for any of the three teams.

His playing career seemed over, as he joined ESPN as a sports analyst in October 2024, but the Nigerian soul is built differently. Nigerian roots are built to endure.

A couple of days ago, many were shocked to hear that Oladipo was after an NBA comeback and that several teams were impressed with his performances during workouts in Las Vegas.

"I feel so great right now!! Better than I felt in the last 7 years mind, body and soul. I know I am a fighter! I know I am a warrior! I have seen every lens this game and this league has to offer. I know I can help any team in any role win in any way!"

"My injuries are behind me and it will never happen again! I am at peace with that and my past. I'm ready to build a present now and future of a life time. I want to show the world that even in the darkest of places and during the darkest times the light in you can lead to the brightest destinations," Oladipo wrote on X five days ago.

After the Calvary he's experienced, the 33-year-old is on the verge of a magnificent comeback, and all we can say is - Good luck, Victor!