Despite not having played in an NBA game since 2023, former All-NBA guard Victor Oladipo, who most notably played for the Indiana Pacers, is doing everything he can to make a return to the league.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, the 33-year-old Oladipo was featured in a private workout in Las Vegas where team sources were ‘impressed‘ with his performance.
“The two-time All-Star, 33, was part of a well-attended private workout in Las Vegas on Monday morning, with a large contingent of NBA and European teams attending,” Woo wrote. “Oladipo played full-court five-on-five in a group workout of international pros. Multiple team sources in attendance came away impressed, with Oladipo described as being in excellent shape as he pursues another comeback.”
Oladipo’s last appearance came in the 2023 NBA Playoffs for the Miami Heat, where he tore his left patellar tendon.
Oladipo Hopeful For A Return
While he hasn’t played in an NBA game in more than two years, Oladipo remains hopeful that a return to the NBA is possible, even despite his long absence and injury history. Before Woo reported news of his private workout, Oladipo said that he believes he is still in NBA-ready shape and wants to impact winning in the league today.
“I feel so great right now!! Better than I felt in the last 7 years mind, body and soul,” Oladipo wrote in a post on X. “I know I can help any team in any role win in any way! I also know the people want to see me succeed in this game and play at the highest level again.”
Woo also stated that despite his injury history, Oladipo could find himself on an NBA roster by the start of next season, after his workout impressed teams.
“His long injury history has delayed his potential return,” Woo wrote. “But there’s currently some consideration around the league that he might eventually work his way into a roster spot, as teams finalize plans to round out their depth entering the fall.”
In the same post, Oladipo acknowledged his injuries but said that he is ready to start a new chapter of his career.
“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,” Oladipo wrote on X. “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.”
Injuries Cut Short A Stellar Career
Through his ten seasons in the NBA, Oladipo played in at least 70 games in just four years, three times with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and once with the Pacers.
His peak came in 2018, when he averaged 23.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and a league-leading 2.4 steals per game. He earned All-NBA third-team and All-Defensive first-team honors, was named an All-Star, and led the Pacers to the playoffs.
The next year, Oladipo ruptured his right quad tendon, ending his season and marking a turning point in his career. After playing in just 55 games over the next two seasons, the Pacers traded him to the Houston Rockets, who quickly moved him to Miami. He underwent more surgeries to repair lingering issues from the quad tear, and never returned to his peak seen with the Pacers.
Oladipo played in 42 games with the Heat in the 2022-23 season, but has yet to step on an NBA court since tearing his left patellar tendon. Miami traded him to OKC, who then moved him back to Houston within a few months in the summer of 2023, but he never suited up. He was then sent from the Rockets to the Memphis Grizzlies in early 2024, where he was waived.
Oladipo has career averages of 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals in 504 total regular-season games with 43.6/34.7/78.8 shooting splits. At 33 years old, he is hopeful to make a return after years of injuries, and his latest workout could be a sign that a comeback is coming soon.
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