Former NBA All-Star Victor Oladipo has opened up about the complications surrounding his quadriceps injury, revealing that doctors told him his original surgery had been performed in a way that was unsuitable for a professional athlete.
Oladipo explained that he discovered the extent of the problem after joining the Miami Heat, when he experienced discomfort in his leg during one of his early appearances with the team.
“I got to Miami. I played four or five games, and on the best game that I was having there, I get a backdoor from Bam and I get a tweak in my leg. I start jogging back and I can’t put any pressure on it.”
The injury prompted further medical examinations, during which Oladipo received troubling information about his previous procedure.
According to the former guard, doctors warned that continuing to play could have resulted in another quadriceps tear.
“I go back, and that’s when the doctors told me, ‘I’m sorry no one told you this. I’m just going to have to tell you that if you would have continued this, you’re probably going to tear your quad again because the way the doctor did your surgery is probably better for a 90-year-old woman.’”
Although the assessment was concerning, Oladipo admitted that hearing the explanation actually brought him relief.
He had previously questioned why his body was struggling despite his efforts to return to full strength.
“That’s exactly what he told me verbatim. A 90-year-old woman. But you know what was crazy? I was relieved. Because I knew it wasn’t me. I thought there was something wrong with me.”
Oladipo also described how the lingering physical limitations affected his playing style, forcing him to adjust his movements and rely more heavily on one side of his body.
“During that time, I was compensating. If you watch my film from the time I got hurt to the time I got hurt again in 2023, I only go right. I couldn’t jump off my right leg. I was only jumping off my left leg. I could only go that way. I couldn’t go left.”
The two-time NBA All-Star dealt with multiple serious injuries throughout his career, including another major setback in 2023.
