Oladipo has a message for Africans trying to succeed in sports.
More than being selected No 2 by the Orlando Magic in the 2013 NBA draft, it turns out that Victor Oladipo won two battles.
First, the 6-foot-4 guard adopted an extraordinary mental strength.
Second, he proved doubters wrong.
Now, the former Indiana University stand out is taking his own experience to help others succeed.
In Thursday’s post-practice session at Steinberg Wellness Centre in Brooklyn, New York, the 22-year-old born to Nigerian parents addressed the media, and explained why self-belief can make a major difference in life.
“The biggest message is, never let anybody tell you can’t do anything.”
“In my life people have told me, I’d come up short and would probably never be a D1 (Division 1) college player; would never play in the NBA. But at the end of the day, I stayed in the gym working on my game.
“Never lose confidence in yourself and believe in the gift that God gave you, anything is possible,” he continued.
The Orlando guard, who increased his scoring averages from 13.8 points in his rookie season to 16.6 points this season, is one of the few players carrying the African flag in the 2015 All-Star weekend.
And he explained how significant it is to be one of the Ambassadors for Africa in the event, and how he feels with the attention coming from the motherland.
“[Africa] That’s my home. That’s where I am from, that’s where my family is from. It means a lot to have that kind of attention there.
“Both my parents are from Nigeria. They came over here about 28 years ago for better work and better lives, that’s the blood that goes in my veins. I am Nigerian at the end of the day.”
The NBA in partnership with NBA Africa are expected to announce further details about the first exhibition game, scheduled for August in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Commissioner Adam Silver said last month in London during the NBA Global Games match between the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks that a number of players had shown interest in taking part in the game.
Oladipo did not think twice about raising his arm when supersport.com asked about the prospect of joining the game.
“If I get invited I’ll go,” he said without a blink of an eye.
“I haven’t really heard about that. That’s the first time probably that I am hearing about this. That’s something I would like to do.
“I am playing as hard as I can for my fans over there, hopefully I’ll get there soon.
“I haven’t got the chance to go. Now that I have the money, and I am saving my money, I’ll definitely get the chance to go over there.”
In Friday’s (Saturday morning CAT) BBVA Compass Rising Star Challenge, Oladipo will feature for the USA against the World team at Barclay Center arena in Brooklyn.
