Ping-pong balls make for funny bookends. Give it a try and you'll see why most people opt for the practicality of wood or metal. The hollow plastic 40mm spheres are uniquely underqualified to maintain order on their bookshelves. One man's NBA career, however, has been bookended by ping-pong balls. First, lottery balls gave the Orlando Magic the second pick in the 2013 NBA draft. They used it to pick a 6'4" shooting guard from Indiana. We'll get to the other bookend presently. First, some introductions are in order. The Hoosier in question is named Victor Oladipo. Born in Maryland in 1992, his mother hails from Kenya and his father from Sierra Leone. As CBS announcer Clark Kellogg put it, "Victor Oladipo is like a baby's bottom, smooth and sometimes... explosive." While a very capable scorer, Oladipo's defensive skills set him apart from the crowd. His talents covering all 94 feet of the court earned him an $84 million, four-year contract with the Pacers, back in Hoosier territory. Oladipo is nicknamed "Mr. Feathery" for his grace on the court, but this moniker seems to pertain to all facets of his life. A suave fashionista, his sneaker collection alone is valued at $2 million. He is also a velvet-voiced singer who was a fan favorite as Thingamajig on The Masked Singer. Just when everything was sailing along smoothly for Oladipo, life happened. First, in January 2019, he ruptured a tendon in his right knee, ending his season and casting his future into doubt. Contract negotiations had stalled, even before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the current season. Now, Oladipo is on quarantine like the rest of us, uncertain if he has played his last game in a Pacers uniform. Not one to sit at home and fret about things he cannot control, Oladipo has taken the unexpected break as an opportunity to continue his rehab with some cross-training. Now we get to the second bookend, as promised "I’ve actually gotten really good at ping pong," says Oladipo. "I just started playing this past summer, and I’m starting to get better and better at it. Play it pretty much every day and every night now, so, ping pong is one thing I’ve acquired or learned how to play in my rehab time and through this quarantine time." While this bookend bodes well for Oladipo's reflexes and agility, it is really more of a bookmark-- a salutary rest in the middle of Oladipo's brilliant basketball career. Whether he bounces around the league like a ping-pong ball or stays to see his jersey retired in Indianapolis, his new quarantine hobby will serve him well.

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