Victor Oladipo was a part of the 2022-23 Miami Heat team that went all the way to the Finals. Even though he picked up yet another injury in the first round of the postseason, the guard showed flashes of his best version, making fans dream of seeing him playing at a good level again.
After his season was over, the former Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers player entered a new battle, on a different court, suing his business manager, James B. Henderson, for allegedly stealing over $1 million from Oladipo.
“The allegations, which have not previously been reported, are laid out in the June 16 petition, which seeks to force Henderson, who goes by the moniker “Jay Belly,” to sit for a deposition and explain himself,” The Daily Beast reports.
“Reached by phone on Friday, Henderson’s attorney, Ariel Mitchell, said her client did not wish to comment on the case. The bitter dispute began with a lawsuit filed by Oladipo in Orange County Circuit Court last year, but has purposely been kept silent, according to a source close to both Henderson and Oladipo.”
Oladipo hired Henderson in May 2017, according to the newly filed petition. He was with the Indiana Pacers at the time, the team where he lived his best moments in the NBA.
After helping the shooting guard secure many deals with giant brands like Motorola and Hulu, as well as making Oladipo a co-owner at a record label, Henderson started touching the player’s money without his authorization.
First, he transferred $330,000 to a title insurance company as he attempted to buy a 3-bed, 2-bath condo in Orlando. After that, a series of checks from over $25,000 were forged for a company in charge of the renovation of the aforementioned condo.
If that wasn’t enough, Henderson kept making checks for Merrill Lynch, an investment management and wealth management division of Bank of America, totaling almost $900,000.
After finding out what Henderson was doing with his money, Oladipo fired him and brought somebody else to clean up the disaster. The person who replaced Henderson found out that the former had links with an adult entertainment club in New York.
What appeared to be a partnership based on honor and trust turned out to be a terrible situation for Oladipo. Added to all the things he’s living on the court, realizing that somebody you trust is doing you wrong must have felt terrible for the former MIP award winner.
Victor Oladipo Is Once Again Inactive Due To Injury
As stated before, Oladipo left the playoffs way too early after picking up another season-ending injury. He’s been dealing with injuries since his time with the Pacers and it’s sad to see how his career was taking off in 2019, from getting two calls to the All-Star Game, being an All-NBA player, and winning the Most Improved Player award to being a bench player that can’t stay healthy.
In 42 games this season, he averaged 10.7 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds with the Heat. He has a player option of $9,450,000 for this year, and nobody thinks he’ll opt out of that.
The Heat are placing many hopes on him, and hopefully, when he returns, he can recover some of that level he showed during his best years. Dipo hasn’t been living the best moments on and off the court, and that’s just sad.
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