Victor Oladipo

In December 2017, online gossip and entertainment magazine ‘Bossip’ speculated that Oladipo is dating actress and model Bria Myles but nothing has been confirmed by either party as of yet.

Born on May 4, 1992, in Silver Spring, Maryland, Victor Oladipo is one of the four children of Joan Amanze Oladipo and Christopher Oladipo. He has a twin sister named Victoria and as well as two older sisters, Kristine and Kendra.

His mother is originally from Nigeria and works as a nurse, while his father, an immigrant from Blama, Sierra Leone, received his PhD in behavioural science from the University of Maryland, College Park and currently is a public health executive for Prince George's County, Maryland.

Oladipo’s interest in basketball developed quite early. Studying at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, he was involved in their basketball program. During his senior year, he registered 11.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.6 blocks in average per game.

He played a pivotal role in the school’s record of 32–4 that year and their appearances in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and City championships. His performance garnered him a place in the Washington Post 2010 All-Met First Team and inclusion in the list of top players in Washington, D.C.

Victor Oladipo had several options after graduating from high school. He was being actively courted by several colleges, including Notre Dame, Maryland, and Xavier. He eventually picked Indiana University because the town it was located in suited him perfectly. He said, “It's like a basketball atmosphere everywhere you go....Bloomington, Indiana is a basketball town. That's perfect.”

He joined Indiana University’s college team, Indiana Hoosiers, while simultaneously pursuing a degree in sports communication broadcasting.

He appeared in 32 games in total for the Hoosiers in his freshman year (2010-11) and was part of the starting line-up in five of them. Scoring with an average of 7.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.06 steals in 18.0 minutes per game, he displayed the potential of what he could do.

During his sophomore year (2011-12), he recorded 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in average per game and was hailed as Hoosiers’ most improved player of the season by several commentators. Their team had a moderately successful season that year, winning their matches against New Mexico State and VCU in the 2012 NCAA Tournament and losing to Kentucky, who were the eventual national champions.

In his junior season with the Hoosiers, Oladipo emerged as one of the best players in the country. He led his team to the stellar finish of the 2012–13 season as the outright Big Ten champions. He played 36 games in what was to be his final season with the Hoosiers, scoring 13.6 points per game.

In 2013, Victor Oladipo made the decision to not appear for the senior season for the Hoosiers and made himself available for the 2013 NBA Draft. Dubbed as a lottery pick by ESPN and CBS Sports, he was asked to wait in the “green room” during the draft and was chosen by Orlando Magic as their second overall pick. On 8 July, he signed a rookie scale contract with the team.

The 2013 rookie class, in the NBA.com Rookie Survey, selected him as the best defender, the co-favourite 2013–14 Rookie of the Year (with C. J. McCollum), the co-favourite to have the best career (with Kelly Olynyk) and the second most athletic rookie (after Tony Mitchell).

He made his professional debut on October 29, 2013, in a game against the Indiana Pacers. While Orlando Magic lost the game, Oladipo managed to leave an impression. On 3 December, he registered his first career triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Philadelphia 76ers.

Taking part in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge in February 2014, he found his place as a late player for Chris Webber's team, which was mostly comprised of other rookies. He also appeared in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge in the same month.

In the following season, a facial fracture suffered during a practice session on October 24, 2014, ended up side-lining him indefinitely. Despite this, Orlando Magic decided to keep him for one more season. He returned to the court again on 14 November against the Milwaukee Bucks. Playing with a facial protection mask, he scored 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in a 101–85 win.