Oladipo says injury gave him greater appreciation of game

Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo spent a good chunk of the 2018-19 season on the sidelines after rupturing the quad tendon in his right knee in January.

Although the time away from the game was difficult for Oladipo, he said it gave him a greater appreciation of basketball and all that comes with it.

"It was so hard," Oladipo said, according to ESPN's Jackie MacMullan. "It makes you appreciate the game more, your teammates more, even yourself more.

"Sometimes we don't realize our own impact. You take it for granted. I won't ever do that again."

Oladipo added that his absence wasn't all negative, as the injury allowed him to grow as an individual off the court.

"I've spent time working on being a leader, making sure everyone is on the same page," Oladipo said. "And, business-wise, I had a chance to take a crack at being an entrepreneur, so I look at this as a blessing.

"You have to work on your mind as hard as you work on your body, and I've used this time off to heal my mind and learn from this."

The two-time All-Star averaged 18.8 points, 5.6 boards, 5.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest last season before being shut down for the remainder of the campaign.