Long before he joined the Miami Heat, Victor Oladipo was an up-and-coming star for the Indiana Pacers. During the 20i8 NBA Playoffs, Oladipo and his Pacers faced off against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round — a series that still remains in the memory of Oladipo.
Speaking on a recent episode of JJ Redick's Old Man & The Three podcast, the Heat combo guard had nothing but high praise for LeBron as Oladipo described what it was like to face off against an extremely determined King James:
“He knew exactly what he needed to do every game,” Oladipo said. “… He understood what was needed of him, but I think the most important part was when it was needed. I think that just goes with experience and who he is, obviously. He's not normal.”
From a personal standpoint, Victor Oladipo cherished the opportunity to battle LeBron on the basketball court. According to the two-time All-Star, there's just nothing like it:
“It was a great experience to go against someone like that,” Oladipp continued. “To be matched up against the best player in the world, to go toe-to-toe with him. That was a different type of drug for sure.”
“He’s not normal”
– Victor Oladipo on 2018 LeBron
🎥 – @OldManAndThree pic.twitter.com/lWZV6jlk4I
— ⁶ (@TaIkContext) October 14, 2022
The Pacers pushed the Cavs to seven games in that series, but Oladipo's heroics just wasn't enough against prime LeBron James.
Now with the Heat, Oladipo is still hoping for more on-court battles with The King. Oladipo may no longer be the cornerstone stud he once was with the Pacers, but you can be sure that he's still going to be relishing any and every opportunity he gets to face off against LeBron and the Lakers.
These two teams face off for the first time this season on December 29th. That should be a good one.
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