INDIANAPOLIS — Last month, there were a lot of rumors that Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo wanted to leave Indianapolis. On Tuesday, he put those to rest.
“I was always taught not to engage in nonsense,” Oladipo said in a virtual press conference. “I never have. I never came out and said that I didn’t want to play for the Pacers or be in this organization.”
He admitted it was hard not to say anything as the rumors continue to circulate, but he reassured Pacers fans he is here to stay.
“All that other stuff, I can’t control what they say and what they write and what they do,” the two-time all-star said. “I’m just focused on me, focused on my team, being my best version of myself so I can help this team, this organization, and this city win an NBA championship.”
Oladipo is coming off a 2019-20 season where he only played in 19 games for the Pacers, averaging just 14.5 points per game, as he continued to recover from a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee.
The Pacers guard added he’s excited to get to work with his teammates and new head coach Nate Bjorkgren, who the Pacers hired earlier this year to replace Nate McMillan.
“I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to getting started, but it’s kind of weird right now with corona(virus), so we have to kind of ease our way into it. I’m looking forward to all of us getting on the court and competing.”
The Pacers were eliminated from the 2020 NBA Playoffs — played in the “Orlando Bubble” due to the coronavirus pandemic — with a first-round loss to the Miami Heat.
