Victor Oladipo uploaded a post to X (previously known as Twitter) on Wednesday that seemingly has some fans worried about his well-being.
“Good morning I just want to let everyone know it’s a very different time in my life and I can’t share my time and energy anymore,” wrote Oladipo. “I want to make everyone happy and be there for everybody especially those I care about, but I’m now called to walk a different path. I hope everyone can respect and understand that. You’ll soon see why. Peace be Unto You. #OlaHim🤹🏿♂️🥷🏾🤲🏿”
Oladipo has seen his NBA career get hampered by the injury bug for around five years now. He hasn’t played more than 42 games in a single season since all the way back in the 2017-18 campaign, and he missed the entirety of the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury.
Across two-plus seasons with the Heat, Oladipo appeared in just 54 regular-season games, but he served as an effective complementary player when healthy, considering he averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per contest during that span.
The 32-year-old was also a consistent rotation member for the Heat during the team’s stint in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Miami was just one game away from reaching the NBA Finals, and across 15 appearances and one start in the playoffs, Oladipo averaged 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
He also averaged 10-plus points per contest in two of the Heat’s three playoff series that year, with the one exception being when he averaged 9.7 per game against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Oladipo was tasked with guarding Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in that series, though, and made life difficult for two of the league’s better players.
Oladipo’s time in Miami came to an end in the summer of 2023, when the Heat dealt him along with a pair of second-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for cash considerations. In his swan song with the Heat, the 2022-23 campaign, he appeared in 42 of Miami’s regular-season contests and averaged 10.7 points, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game in a bench role with the team.
Here’s to hoping that Oladipo is doing alright from a mental standpoint in light of his X post and will be able to continue his NBA career in the upcoming 2024-25 season without having to miss too much of the campaign due to injury woes.
