Victor Oladipo‘s meteoric rise this year has been so much fun to watch, as he’s gone from something of an afterthought who was traded two times in as many years to a potential All-Star for the Indiana Pacers. Part of the reason it’s been such a joy is that he’s doing it in front of a fan base that loves him so much.
Oladipo went to school at Indiana University, which is only about 50 miles away from Indianapolis. It’s a basketball-crazed state, and many Indiana natives love their Hoosiers. So when a former IU star who was a first-team All-American in the cream and crimson comes home, well, it’s a big deal.
Pacers fans obviously love Oladipo, and their love is reciprocated. One Pacer fan who might be a little envious of him is Joe Hogsett, the mayor of Indianapolis who joked that he thought Oladipo took his job.
the actual mayor of indianapolis just said victor oladipo is the mayor instead. pic.twitter.com/pYrW2RX6kG
— whitney medworth (@its_whitney) December 13, 2017
“When I was told that Quinn Buckner would be introducing the mayor of Indianapolis, I thought I’d have the afternoon off,” Hogsett said. “Because from what I’ve been hearing, there’s a new mayor in town, and his name is Victor Oladipo.”
This is such a dad joke that I’m stunned he didn’t tell it as he was cleaning the gutters with a sore lower back. Hogsett cracked this during the press conference to announce that the city will host the 2021 All-Star Weekend, so between that and the fact that he busted out a knee slapper, it was quite the afternoon for the mayor. Maybe his evening will be just as fun, as he watches Oladipo and the Pacers take on Paul George in his return to Indianapolis.
