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Last week, former two-time All-Star and ex-Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo held a private workout in Las Vegas in front of NBA Scouts, general managers, and executives around the league. At the conclusion of the workout, the former NBA Most Improved Player of the Year took the time to shake everyone’s hand who was in attendance to show his appreciation for the opportunity.
Oladipo has not played in the NBA since the 2022-2023 season as a member of the Miami Heat after suffering a season-ending patellar tendon injury.
According to reports, Oladipo organized the Pro Day type workout on his own to help prove that he is healthy and ready to return to the NBA if given the right opportunity.
Earlier this month, he made it clear that he had (Formerly Twitter) and shared that he knows that he has a lot left in the tank and his admiration for the game of basketball.
“I’m a free agent. I don’t have an agent right now, just me and my family,” Oladipo wrote on X. “I know I have a lot left, and I genuinely love this game. I’d rather show you I’m ready than spend my time trying to explain why or flood you with analytics to prove it. If you’re about winning, value mentorship, and think there could be a fit, you can reach me directly. I’m open to every opportunity right now – I just want to make sure I weigh each one carefully. I can’t wait to share my story.”
Victor Oladipo recently sat down with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson and shared why he decided to cut the middleman out in this case, his agent.
“Well, because I didn’t have one in order to get to the NBA to begin with. In order to get to the league, I had to work hard and perform at a high level to play. It wasn’t until I was told that I was probably going to have that opportunity that I needed, so to speak, a middleman in order to be a part of the league or speak on my behalf. So, when I was in a space where I just kind of went back to myself, I went back to where it all started—where it was just me, my family, my dreams, and my imagination. I went back to the roots,” said Oladipo.
“I’m just working, and I believe in divine timing. If I have an opportunity to have an agent who speaks a similar language, who understands me, my circumstance, and my history, and could speak on my behalf in a way that best represents me, then in divine time, I welcome it. But right now, if it’s me speaking on my own behalf, I don’t see any better fit for the job. That’s where I’m at right now. I’m just focused mostly on my performance, being in the best possible shape, and being the best version of myself I could possibly be.”
Oladipo was also asked about his workouts, which he shared that he had been in Miami with a variety of different players.
“I’ve been working out in Miami. I’ve pretty much worked out with a plethora of people, a cluster of players. In and out of Miami, everybody comes here to work out. I also played pickup last year and played in the G League a little bit last year as well. So, it’s not like I haven’t been playing at all. It’s just, you know, I haven’t necessarily been on NBA radars, but I have been in motion.”
The Houston Rockets traded Oladipo to the Miami Heat on March 25, 2021, in exchange for Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, and a 2022 first-round draft pick swap right before the trade deadline, according to ESPN.
He would go on to play parts of three seasons with the Miami Heat, before another serious injury.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/rockets/onsi as Ex-Rockets Guard Victor Oladipo Reveals Why He Elected To Cut The Middleman Out .
