Victor Oladipo's stats went toe-to-toe against Russell Westbrook's in last night's double overtime game between Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder.
In that game which they lost, 136-139, the 2013 2nd overall draft pick finished with 21 points along with 10 assists and 13 rebounds. The stats include a game-tying three point shot to extend the game into a double overtime.
The 23-year old out of Indiana University is one of the guys projected to become one of the new NBA stars soon. Before their tip-off, Oladipo gained one important fan who can attest that he is slowly rising to stardom.
OKC star and one-time MVP Kevin Durant expressed admiration for the two-way guard. He even compared him to Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade.
"I know this may sound maybe a little too early," Durant said as per report by Orlando Sentinel, "but he reminds me a lot of Dwyane Wade in his body, his athleticism and how he gets to the basket. I'm not saying he's Dwyane Wade, but he reminds me a lot of him. He's definitely looking forward to taking on that role."
Durant is not exaggerating anything. Victor Oladipo's stats speaks well about how he deserves to be compared to Wade. The Miami Heat star averaged 16.2 points per game in his rookie year.
Oladipo finished his first season with 13.8 points per game to land second in Rookie of the Year contest. The Orlando Magic star then improved his stats to 17.9 in 2014-15 NBA season.
While Durant sees potential in Oladipo, the latter look up to the OKC star's work ethic after working with him and Russell Westbrook during off-season.
"It was cool hanging out with them and seeing their perspective on the game, seeing how hard they work," Oladipo said. "It's not a secret why they're so good. Their work ethic shows. It was a pretty cool experience being with them out there."
