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Support From Family and Teammates Helping Oladipo Recover

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

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By John DentonOct. 31, 2014

ORLANDO – Rather than waste time focusing on the hard-luck injuries that have derailed the start to his second season with the Orlando Magic, Victor Oladipo has instead turned his attention to the loving support around him and his determined return to the basketball court.

Oladipo, who endured a procedure last week to repair a facial fracture just below his right eye, was somewhat emotional on Friday when talking about what it meant to him for his mother, Joan, and his twin sister, Victoria, to travel to Orlando to assist him following the first surgery of his life. Oladipo went on to point out how emotionally moving it was that several of his Magic teammates visited him after the surgery in hopes of lifting his spirits.

Thinking of those things, instead of glumly sitting around and asking, `Why me?’ are far more productive toward his eventual return to the basketball court, Oladipo said on Friday.

``I just think it’s all a part of the process, it is what it is and it’s a part of playing the game, getting injured sometimes,’’ said Oladipo, who rejoined his teammates on the bench Thursday night during the 105-98 loss to the Washington Wizards. ``I think it’s a test, really, of my character, who I am as a person, and who I want to be as a player. But I’m just going to keep working hard and not be discouraged.’’

Oladipo, last season’s runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting, missed three weeks of the preseason after landing awkwardly and spraining the medial collateral ligament in his right knee on the fourth day of training camp. Then, just as Oladipo was set to return for his first game action and the Magic’s final preseason tune-up before the regular-season opener, the guard took an accidental elbow to the face and he went down to the floor in a heap. He described the impact of the blow as feeling ``like a bat hit me in the face.’’

Last Saturday, Oladipo underwent a procedure where he said doctors installed a metal plate and three screws to repair the damaged area under his right eye. He said that he had stitches removed on Friday, but there is still noticeable swelling in his face.

Oladipo’s mother and sister were previously scheduled to visit him in Orlando, and their timing couldn’t have been more perfect considering the pain that he was in following Saturday’s surgery. It also helps out, Oladipo said, that his mother is a registered nurse.

``My mom and my twin sister were here and if they weren’t here I don’t know what I would have done,’’ Oladipo said. ``I really don’t know what I would have done if my mom wasn’t here. That’s what she’s here for. It’s hard to explain because that’s your mom. There’s nothing like it. You’ve got to have her here, especially with something like that (surgery). She was here, woke up early, she was there the whole time and she was the first person that I saw when I woke up.’’

Oladipo was also happy to see several of his Magic teammates, including Kyle O’Quinn, Maurice Harkless, Elfrid Payton and Devyn Marble, a day after his surgery. Oladipo’s mom and sister prepared a feast for the group, but their purpose for attending was to lift the spirits of their somewhat groggy teammate.

``It was amazing. We all went over there and we were playing video games. (Oladipo) was comfortable around us after he warmed up a little bit. His face was swollen, but we’re his friends and we don’t care about that stuff as long as we have him in good spirits,’’ O’Quinn said recently. ``He wants to be with us right now, but he can’t. It was good to have his mom cooking and giving that good family feeling. I think that’s what he needed most.’’

Oladipo admitted that he was touched that his teammates cared enough about him to spend one of their off nights with him in hopes of boosting his lagging spirits.

``It meant a lot to me, it did,’’ he said. ``It was tough just laying there and not being able to do anything but pretty much sleep. But for them to come over and us have a good time and chilling and playing video games, it was pretty cool. I’m glad that they did that because it definitely helped my heart and my spirits as well.’’

Oladipo said there is no definitive timetable for his return and he can’t even re-start conditioning exercises until he’s off pain medication and the swelling in his face subsides more. He knows that when he returns he’ll likely have to wear a brace on his still-healing knee and a hard-plastic mask over his surgically repaired cheek area.
All in all, Oladipo said things with his two injuries could have been much worse and he has tried to keep telling himself that he will be back on the floor in due time. He worked hard on his body (he dropped 20 pounds) and his game (he added a mid-range jumper) in the offseason, and now the injuries are just obstacles in the way of him getting back out on the floor for the Magic.

``I’m just taking it day by day. The biggest thing is my mental and focusing on my mind. I’m staying into it, staying into the games and what’s going on around here. I think if I do that, I’ll be all right when I come back,’’ he said. ``It is (frustrating), but it’s just another challenge. It’s not the first time that it’s happened to me in my life. I’ve been facing challenges all of my life. I’m just going to work even harder now. I just take it as a sign that I need to work even harder than I was before. I’m looking forward to getting back and helping my teammates out.’’