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

INDIANAPOLIS – When she was pregnant with Victor Oladipo, Joan Oladipo dreamed she met Hakeem Olajuwon, the Hall of Fame center. In her dream, Olajuwon gave her an autographed basketball.

"I was having twins, Victor and his sister (Victoria)," said Mrs. Oladipo. "I told their father about the dream. I told him, 'At least one of these twins is going to play basketball."'

Twenty-five years after his mother's dream, Victor Oladipo is living his own. He is the new face of the Indiana Pacers — multi-dimensional, exciting, charismatic, with a flair for the dramatic, leading a team that has exceeded almost everyone's expectations. He has become an All-Star-caliber player, averaging career highs in almost every important category, after being traded twice in his first four NBA seasons.

Former Indiana coach Tom Crean watched a similar meteoric rise for Oladipo during his

career with the Hoosiers, when he went from unheralded recruit as a freshman to college Player of the Year as a junior. Asked to describe the Oladipo effect, Crean said this.

“There’s a lot of style to him,” said Crean. “But it’s never greater than the substance.”

Oladipo's substance is a key ingredient in what the Pacers are trying to build, a team that can eventually contend for championships after it traded Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in June, in exchange for Oladipo and center Domantas Sabonis.

The popular knee-jerk reaction to the trade was that the Pacers were fleeced. Who's saying that now? Criticism of the deal gave Oladipo even more ammunition to make this his best season. His sunny disposition masks a fierce determination, strengthened by rejection and doubters.

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"He has always responded to doubt," said Crean. "He has always responded to, 'Am I good enough?' I don’t want to call it fear, but there’s a healthy fear of failure, and I think he’s always had that. Dwyane Wade’s always had that. It’s not a bad thing, It’s only a bad thing if you don’t have the confidence. Victor learned to let the doubts that others had drive him beyond."

Mrs. Oladipo said her son was shocked both times he was traded, after three seasons with the Orlando Magic, then after just one season with the Oklahoma Thunder. But watching Oladipo soar with the Pacers only reaffirms her belief that his current success was preordained.

"I always told him God has a plan for his life," said Mrs, Oladipo. "This is the path He carved out for Victor."

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The Pacers benefit not only from Oladipo's talent, but also from the power of his personality. You often hear Oladipo's smooth singing voice before you actually see him enter a room. His melodies have become the theme music for the Pacers' season. Teammates love playing with Oladipo, not only because he is good, but also because he is unselfish, he exudes confidence and he does it all without an obvious ego.

During the course of a grueling 82-game season, Pacers coach Nate McMillan says, it's important that the best player on a young team sets such a positive tone.

"I guess Victor has bad days, but I never see them," said McMillan. "We've been down in a lot of games this season, but you look at Victor in the huddle, and he's always the same. That calmness has helped us, along with his play. And he's just got an infectious personality. I mean, the singing?"

Yes, the singing. You can't be around Oladipo much without hearing it. His mother said it has always been that way:His constant singing drove his three sisters crazy.

"I can hear them now, 'Shut up, Victor!,''' said Mrs. Oladipo, laughing.

However, Oladipo's insatiable thirst for greatness is no laughing matter. As he often says, "I'm chasing the best. Whoever that is, that's who I'm chasing."

Asked where he saw himself 20 years from now, Oladipo didn't hesitate.

"In the Hall of Fame," Oladipo said.

His mother and father, Chris, instilled that relentless work ethic in Oladipo. His parents came to the United States from their native Nigeria more than 30 years ago.

“No one works harder than they did,” said Oladipo, who grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., with his parents and three sisters. “To come over here 32 years ago as Nigerian immigrants and have nothing, and make sure all four of their kids went to private high schools and all got college degrees is something that’s very uncommon.”

Told what her son said, Mrs. Oladipo was pleased, happy that the man still remembers the lessons taught to him as a child.

"It was a little rough when we first came to this country," said Mrs. Oladipo. "My husband is well-educated, but he worked all kinds of jobs to make ends meet. After our second child came along, I went back to school, to get my nursing degree. I wanted my children to have what I didn't have growing up. You can't sit down on your butt and expect things to come to you. You have to go out and get it."

That was the approach Oladipo took last offseason, when he started a demanding new training regimen, even before he was traded. Oladipo spent weeks in Miami last spring and summer, but he was not partying and carousing on South Beach. Oladipo worked out three times daily, following an Oladipo-specific program designed by David Alexander, who owns DBC Fitness in Miami. Alexander also trains Wade, the Cleveland Cavaliers guard who is like a big brother to Oladipo.

Alexander has seen great athletes push themselves. But the dedication Alexander saw from Oladipo went beyond the norm. It was almost maniacal.

"After three weeks we accomplished more than most guys accomplish in two months," said Alexander. "For lack of a better term, Victor locked in. We cut all flour, all refined sugars, all dairy out of his diet. We started loading him with a gallon of water a day to flush his system. A lot of guys want to do what we say, but then they want to snack. But he followed everything to a tee. It was crazy.

"Victor is the real thing. If he wasn’t training, or on the court, he'd be working on his music, or spending time with his family. He's not at the nightclubs. He's a homebody. It made my job easier, because he never showed up hungover or sleep-deprived. What you're seeing from him this year? It's not an accident."

Oladipo's rise to stardom has been well-received by his peers, because of his personality, and because they know how hard he works.

The Wade-Oladipo bond started when Oladipo was still in high school. Wade appeared at the White House as a guest speaker during a Father's Day event hosted by President Obama. Oladipo was in attendance, an introduction was made, and Wade immediately sensed how serious Oladipo was about becoming a great player.

"He was hungry for knowledge, had a real thirst for it," said Wade. "We have a great relationship, a great respect for each other. As much as anybody in the NBA, I want to see him succeed. I’m happy for him. I’m proud of him. I want him to want more for himself. After he’s an All-Star this year, I want him to think about what’s next. Obviously it’s about winning championships, becoming a Hall of Famer. That's the kind of conversations we have."

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Oladipo communicates easily with mentors such as Crean and Wade. But communication between Oladipo and his father has been more complicated. Mrs. Oladipo liked sports growing up in Nigeria and understood Oladipo's passion for basketball. Chris Oladipo was more focused on his son's academics. Oladipo rarely saw his father sitting in the stands during AAU games, or during his games when he attended perennial national basketball powerhouse DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md.

"His dad was the enforcer when it came to school," said Mrs. Oladipo. "He wanted Victor to get a good education.

"Victor didn't see his dad showing much interest in basketball, and felt that he didn't get that support from him, and it kind of strained their relationship. We'd go to AAU, and you'd see other families there with the mom and dad. Victor felt his dad wasn't there when it came to his basketball career."

The disconnect with his father bothered Oladipo to the point that during last year's All-Star break, he visited his father's office. The two men had a heart-to-heart, one that helped Oladipo understand his father better.

"Probably the first time we had really sat down and ever spoke like that," said Oladipo. "Spoke for about 2½, three hours. It was just me and him. We had a little shaky relationship at first, a little different. We’ve just become way more close over the months and years because of me going there and talking to him. You get a different perspective on life when you do that. Why he did certain things, where he was, what was going on. It was pretty good."

This year's NBA All-Star Game starters were announced Thursday, and Oladipo didn't get enough votes. Reserves will be announced Tuesday. If Oladipo makes the team, does he expect his father to attend the game in Los Angeles?

"I would love him to, if he’s not in Nigeria," said Oladipo. "He goes back and forth a lot. If he's not in Nigeria, I don’t see why he wouldn’t come. It’s just a blessing to be able to have him be involved. It’s a blessing to see he watches my games, keeps up with it, texts me, motivates me."

Oladipo is a shrewd motivator himself. Earlier this season, Oladipo visited Pacers teammate Myles Turner at his house after Turner had struggled during a game. Turner immediately responded with one of his best games of the season, and credited Oladipo for putting his mind at ease.

How did Oladipo sense that talking to Turner was the right move, and how did Oladipo know what to say?

"I’m a quick-to-listen-slow-to-speak leader. I'm very observant," he said. "I guess I get that from the women I was raised by, since I have three sisters and my mom. I’m slow to speak, because I want to observe first and make sure what I’m saying is true. Before I speak I’ve already done my research. I'm not coming into a situation blindly. With your teammates, they want to do well, they have aspirations that sometimes you need to listen to. Lead by example, obviously, but encourage. Stay positive, but still be able to get my point across, hold everybody accountable."

From Game 1, Oladipo has proven he can lead a team as sublimely as he carries a melody. The Pacers have been a playoff-caliber team with Oladipo, but have not won a game (0-5) without him. When he’s in the lineup, you feel the energy. When he’s not, it’s like somebody pulled the plug.

When Pacers president Kevin Pritchard engineered the trade that sent George away, everyone knew Oladipo had upside as a player. But Oladipo's intangibles, and the impact he has on the locker room, make the trade look even better from the Pacers' perspective.

Does Pritchard ever get the urge to tell his critics, "I told you so?"

"Not ever," said Pritchard. "I have great respect for (Thunder General Manager) Sam Presti. Both teams were looking for something. They got a heck of a player (in George), one I'm sure they're happy to have.

"From our perspective, we targeted Victor and Domas. It wasn't by chance. They are two young players we wanted. Victor has been like a breath of fresh air. What's that saying, High tide lifts all boats? That's what he's been for us."

The Pacers now have Oladipo, Sabonis, and Turner as three young pieces to build around. And because of Oladipo, Wade can see the Pacers becoming a more attractive location for free agents in future seasons.

"It’s hard in certain cities to get that to be their destination," said Wade. "But if you have a player that people want to be around, it’s easier. Like Cleveland, and LeBron (James). I’m not saying Victor is LeBron, but you never know who you’ll get to acquire because they want to play with a certain player. Victor has arrived in this league. Knock on wood, if he stays healthy, he's going to be good in this league for long time."

Asked about the possibility of recruiting free agents to join the Pacers, Oladipo was receptive to the notion. Oladipo doesn’t buy the notion that Indiana is too small a market to compete at the highest level for talent.

“It might be a small market, but it’s a big small market,” said Oladipo. "If it was that small of a market, I don’t think they’d be having an All-Star game here. I think it’s definitely an attractive place to come and play. I wouldn’t mind trying to get people to come play here, if need be.”

***

For now, Oladipo is focusing on the present, doing his best to put the Pacers on fast-forward the way he has fast-forwarded his own career. About 15 pounds lighter than last year, Oladipo is quicker and more explosive, which helps him both offensively and defensively. Oladipo is one of the fastest players in the NBA from baseline-to-baseline, and as the focal point of the Pacers' up-tempo offense, he is getting the opportunities to display all of his strengths. His improved balance and ball-handling have made him a better shooter and a more effective one-on-one player. Wade talks about the difficulties Oladipo presents to those trying to defend him.

"He has everything now," said Wade. "He’s shooting 3s going left, right, or catch-and-shoot. He gets to the basket. He’s getting fouled. He keeps you off balance with his speed, his quickness, and explosiveness, and he has a great handle. So for him, it’s easy for him to get his shot off. As a defender, you don’t know what he’s going to do.".

Oladipo plans to keep getting better. Asked if success might spoil Oladipo, Crean found the idea ludicrous.

"If you’ve spent any time around Victor’s family, you’d know complacency just isn’t possible," said Crean.

"He's just scratching the surface," said Wade.

"We’re not even at the All-Star break, and his body is going to give us so much more info than we have now, " said Alexander, looking forward to working Oladipo next offseason. How’s he going to look in the fourth quarter of Game 71, as opposed to how he looks now? We'll build off that information every year. I’ve been with D-Wade for a few years, and that's what we do. We keep building and building, and he'll keep getting better."

Oladipo's mother has always believed that. On the night in 2013, when Orlando drafted her son with the No. 2 pick, Mrs. Oladipo didn't just dream about Olajuwon. She met him.

"I talked to him, and I gave him a basketball that was on the table in the green room," said Mrs. Oladipo. "I told him about my dream. I told him to make my dream come true and sign the ball. He signed it, Hakeem 'The Dream.'

"When he got traded by Orlando, Victor was so mad. I felt so bad for him. 'Why didn't they want me?' he said. "Then it happened again with OKC. You can start losing confidence in yourself. But I kept telling him, 'God is going to keep moving you until he finds you the perfect home.' It seems he has found the perfect home."

Follow IndyStar sports writer Clifton Brown on Twitter @CliftonGBrown.