Pacers all-star Victor Oladipo unsure if he'll participate in slam dunk contest

INDIANAPOLIS -- Despite rumors to the contrary, Indiana Pacers all-star guard Victor Oladipo has not confirmed his appearance in this year’s All-Star Slam Dunk Contest on all-star weekend.

The first-time all-star said he isn’t sure where the rumors started.

“It’s crazy,” Oladipo said during a news conference Wednesday morning at St. Vincent’s Center. “We’ll see. But I never confirmed anything. I don’t know where those rumors came from.”

Oladipo didn’t deny that he’d participate, stating that he’d be open to demonstrating his acrobatic abilities in Los Angeles if “it feels good, and I feel right.”

Notably, Oladipo is only nine games into a return from a right knee injury that caused him to miss four consecutive games at the end of December and early January. He also missed a game earlier this season with a right knee injury and dealt with a right knee sprain during his final season with the Orlando Magic.

However, if Oladipo does wind up participating, he’ll have a leg up on his competition: The reigning champion is in his corner.

Last year, high-flying Pacers forward Glenn Robinson III rocked New Orleans with his assault on the rim, and Oladipo said he wouldn’t hesitate to ask the champ -- who is still recovering from an offseason knee injury -- for a few tips.

Whether or not he participates in the slam dunk contest, Oladipo said he will be proud to represent the Pacers and the state of Indiana on all-star weekend.

It’s been a long, hard journey to this point, he said, but in less than a month, he will get to realize the fruits of his labor. And he’ll get to share them with a city that has come to adore him.

“It’s been a homecoming experience -- just being able to come back here and play for the Pacers,” said Oladipo who starred for the Hoosiers for three years. “It’s overwhelming. I’m speechless a little bit. It’s just been a great experience. The fans have embraced me. My teammates have been awesome, amazing. Without them, I wouldn’t have been considered an all-star. The coaching staff, everybody in the Pacers organization has been nothing but generous and kind. It’s been amazing, man. Literally, when I say I feel like I get to play in front of my family every night, I really mean that.”

Though his selection was assumed by most -- including by himself and his coach -- Oladipo officially learned he was an all-star from the man who traded for him this past offseason, Pacers president Kevin Pritchard. It was a special moment, Oladipo said, to learn that he’d be making the first all-star appearance of his career from the man who showed more faith in him than so many others who came before.

“It was fitting,” Oladipo said. “It was a great moment for me … something I’ll never forget.”

More Oladipo:

Pacers fans are amused that Victor Oladipo is an NBA All-Star and Paul George isn't

How his All-Star season stacks up against the 12 Pacers before him

Victor Oladipo 'has found the perfect home' with the Pacers

Follow IndyStar Sports reporter Jim Ayello on Twitter and Instagram: @jimayello.