It was a somber day for the Indiana Pacers and their fans when they traded superstar Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It was a sobering end to en era.
But Indiana got a decent return in that trade including Victor Oladipo who shined in this weekend’s NBA Africa game by registering 28 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists in the 108-97 loss.
Oladipo was named Most Valuable Player of the NBA Africa Game.
“I’m a 25-year-old who is trying to be great,” Oladipo told Tana Aiyejina of Nigerian website Punch.com.
“Every day of my life, I try to be the greatest basketball player ever, the best I can be as a person. I didn’t get here on my own and I’m not going to where I want to be on my own. I must do something to reach my goals.”
The Pacers are happy with the addition of Oladipo and with a weak Eastern Conference landscape they are still considered playoff contenders.
Oladipo relishes the opportunity to play in the playoffs again and continue what has been a solid start to his NBA career.
“I’ve had lots of great moments in my four years (in the NBA) so far; when I was going to the playoffs for the first time was one of them,” Oladipo said.
“I had 45 (points) in a game sometime.”