Monday night, Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo played a game against the Indiana Pacers for the first time since the Pacers traded him away in January of 2021. It was the first time Oladipo made the trip to Indianapolis since the deal; he has dealt with various injuries over the years.
Oladipo was feeling nostalgic before the game. He played college basketball at Indiana University as well, so he has numerous ties to the state of Indiana.
He was an All-Star twice for the Pacers, and he helped the franchise transition from one era to the next in 2017. "That's my guy, man. My time here, he was with me, he used to help me go through tough times," Pacers center Goga Bitadze said. He spent a little over one season with Oladipo to open his career. "Big respect for [Oladipo]. Lot of love for him."
Bitadze used to watch Oladipo highlights before he reached the NBA, so he loved having him as a teammate, even for a short time. Before the game, the young big man was asked by AllPacers what he thought the reception would be when Oladipo was introduced to the crowd after his tribute video.
"You can expect anything. Our fans, they only rocking with our colors," Bitadze said. "[Victor] had a great time here, he didn't have [any] issues with the fans, didn't say anything bad about the city or about the team. I feel like everybody is going to cheer for him and he's going to get a great, warm welcome," he added.
Bitadze was right. The fans did cheer after Victor Oladipo's tribute video in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. You can watch the tribute video and the reaction below.
When Oladipo checked into the game for the first time at the 5:27 mark of the first quarter, he heard a combination of cheers and boos. Oladipo spent four seasons with the Pacers and averaged 20.6 points per game. He has played in three games for the Heat this season.
More must-reads: