Victor Oladipo sealed his stature in the NBA as a bona fide superstar. Along the process, he uplifted the Indiana Pacers organization. And just like any bona fide superstar, his allegiance lies strongly with the franchise.
After their heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Oladipo fired at the naysayers who have criticized his team. As reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Oladipo said:
“If y'all don't respect the Indiana Pacers now, I have no respect for you,” Oladipo said after the Pacers' 105-101 loss. “That's just how I feel. Nobody thought we were going to be here — not one person — but us in the locker room. I feel like we've earned our respect from everyone now.”
In the do-or-die game, Oladipo finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in Game 7. For the whole series, he put on impressive averages of 22.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and six assists per game.
The former second overall pick was a revelation all season long in his first season with the Pacers. Critics believed that the franchise was about to enter rebuilding mode after letting go of Paul George. Yet through Oladipo's efforts, the Pacers qualified for the playoffs and more impressively, forced the series with the Cavs to a Game 7.
Oladipo is aware that critics weren't expecting much from them:
“Nobody thought we were going to be here,” Oladipo said. “If I told you we were going to be here in October, you'd have looked at me like I was crazy.”
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