Have you ever asked yourself, have you ever regretted a decision you made?
I think most people have a yes answer, no one won't regret it, and as everyone doesn't think it through, we'll always look for a bunch of excuses after the fact to cover up the decisions we've made. Yes, everyone is not a saint, and everyone regrets their past. But if you throw this question at Oladipo, his answer is: never.
Unlike many players from poor backgrounds, Oladipo's early life was smoother. His mother was a well-known local track and field athlete, while his father was a scholar with a doctorate. This is a middle-class family, and if nothing else, Oladipo should also go to higher education and then do high-paying jobs in finance or education. It's just that the script never goes according to people's ideas.
In an interview with media reporters, Oladipo's mother said that when she was pregnant with Oladipo, she once dreamed that she received a pass from Olajuwon. It was also because of this strange dream encounter that after Oladipo was born, the mother told the elder Oladipo that a child must be educated in basketball. Coincidentally, Oladipo, who entered his teenage years, showed an extra passion for basketball. The happiest thing he does every day is that he can go to the court and play with his friends, even though his father strictly limits his time out every day.
In my father's eyes, becoming a professional player was almost impossible. Educating Oladipo and making breakthroughs in other areas is the best way to succeed. Oladipo was not repulsed by his father's intervention, and he hid in the basement every day to practice. Because here, dad didn't know what he was doing, and there was no way to stop him from sneaking out of the stadium. Oladipo knew that he had to make a score in order to have enough voice in front of his father. So he's training hard every day. Probably from that time on, Oladipo had a shadow of a "bitter mamba".
Fans who have seen Oladipo look off the field should know that Oladipo feels very different. He does not have the unruliness of ordinary players, but is humble everywhere. Probably influenced by his scholarly father, Oladipo's overall temperament is more elegant and easy-going. In a professional league where people are proud of heaven everywhere and people look at people with nostrils, these performances of Oladipo are a bit out of place. However, being polite and easy-going does not mean that Oladipo does not have the heart.
On the contrary, Oladipo is far more confident in himself than others, which is why he dares to refuse tens of millions of annual salaries. Everyone knows that Oladipo is called "Bitter Mamba", but few people know how such a nickname came about.
From the magic debut, Oladipo also topped a list. Although this year is recognized by everyone as a draft minor year! Gao Was born in the draft and was traded to the Thunder as a chip, and the start did not seem to be very smooth. But it doesn't matter, Oladipo can still play elsewhere. Then it was time to trade again and come to Yincheng! The culture here has attracted Oladipo, who has also found his peak here.
Oladipo began to play results, and by this time he was already an All-Star player. Everyone knows that if Oladipo continues to play, he will inevitably be a superstar. Indiana, on the other hand, faced James, although it did not have a good record, but also appeared to be humble. They still have hope of finding their place in a turbulent situation. Unfortunately, Oladipo was injured. This injury makes everyone no longer optimistic about the future of Oladipo. A knee injury can seriously affect a player's future career development, not to mention that he is also a player whose main characteristic is explosiveness.
To show their respect for Oladipo, the Pacers offered a contract with a sub-salary cap. Although management knows that such a contract has the potential to drag down the team's space in the coming years. But Oladipo believes that he deserves a billion-dollar contract, and such an offer is humiliating himself. So he still chose not to accept! Unsurprisingly, Indiana traded him. The business field does not have too much emotion to speak of, and everyone just wants to make money. Going to the Rockets, to the Heat, Oladipo didn't do what he expected. And the repeated injuries have caused the value of Oladipo's transaction to drop again and again. No way, when it came to the free market, he could only accept a contract with a base salary.
At this time, if you ask Oladipo again, do you regret it? His answer was still no regrets.
Because Oladipo is confident enough to tell everyone that he will continue to return to the top. Apparently, the day wasn't too late. On April 4, the regular season Heat played against the Raptors, Oladipo played 27.5 minutes, with 21 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. For Oladipo, he hadn't experienced such a thrill of scoring in a long time. But what he didn't expect was that this game was just a preview of his climax.
On April 11, the heat's regular season finale, Oladipo ushered in the first start of the season. Playing 35.5 minutes, he had an all-around double-double with 40 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, and in this game, Oladipo shot 59.1% from the field and even reached 45.5% from three-point range. You can doubt that Oladipo's body can't stand up to a higher level of confrontation, but you can't doubt his current ability to play.
Scoring, defending, tandem teams, Oladipo can do almost anything. In this last game, Oladipo announced his return to everyone. Yes, he is still the bitter mamba, and he still has the confidence to tell the fans who still support him that they have not made the wrong choice.
Suffering a huge injury at his peak, Oladipo, who was supposed to be an All-Star regular, had to spend a lot of time in rehabilitation. He seems to have the attributes of a glass man, and the slightest touch will cause problems again. This is also the main reason why many teams are afraid to reuse Oladipo. So, in my opinion, if he still wants to have his own place in the future league, he must have a higher level of durability. He needs to prove to the team that he can stay healthy for a long time so that more teams can offer him and continue his career. Otherwise, as a 29-year-old player, if you don't fight any more, you may really have to delay until retirement.