Victor Oladipo was the unlikely hero for a shorthanded Miami Heat team on Tuesday night that had both Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler in street clothes as they looked to take out the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of this first-round series. It was Oladipo who stepped up for his team, exploding for a team-high 23 points in 36 minutes of action.
After the game, Oladipo had an inspirational message as he discussed his journey to where he's sitting today. It's been a rough road for the former All-Star, but through it all, he has remained steadfast and persevering (h/t NBA on Twitter):
“We all human, we all get to that point. If you haven't, you will at some point in your life,” Oladipo said. “I've been fighting even before I was born. I've been fighting… I was always counted out. When God gave me this obstacle, I could've done two things. I could've stopped, or I could have run right through it. And I'm still running through it. No weapon formed against me shall prosper.”
Even this season, many had already counted out Oladipo after he failed to make a significant impact for the Heat. He was in and out of the lineup as the former second overall pick fought to get back to game shape following a lengthy injury spell. Right now, however, Oladipo has emerged as a key x-factor for Miami and he could just be the player that takes this team over the edge this season.