Victor Oladipo, the prohibitive favorite for the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2017-18 season, plans to attend the second annual NBA Awards Show Monday night, league sources told VigilantSports.com.
Oladipo is one of three finalists for the award, along with Houston’s Clint Cappella, and Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie. It would be a complete stunner if Oladipo, who was already voted Third Team All-NBA and All-Defensive First Team, does not take home the award.
Kevin Pritchard, the Pacers’ President of Basketball Operations, and Pacers Sports & Entertainment President Rick Fuson plan to be there to represent the franchise.
This year’s awards show will take place inside the Barker Hangar in Los Angeles and be televised on TNT beginning at 9:00 pm ET. Actor and comedian Anthony Anderson will serve as host. Some of the award presenters: Charles Barkley, DJ Khaled, Shaquille O’Neal, Jesse Williams, Snoop Dogg, Niecy Nash, Ken Jeong and Adrienne Houghton.
The Pacers guard attended the BET Awards Sunday night at the Microsoft Theater in L.A.
Oladipo would become the fifth Pacer to earn the Most Improved Player award, joining Jalen Rose (2000), Jermaine O’Neal (2002), Danny Granger (2009), and Paul George (2013).
This will be Oladipo’s second consecutive year at the awards show. He attended the inaugural show last year in New York and was victorious in the fan-voted Dunk of the Year category for his double-pump jam over Dwight Howard, which beat out Larry Nance Jr. of the Lakers and two-time Slam Dunk contest champion (2015, 2016) Zach LaVine of the Timberwolves.
Other hardware to be handed out: Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Sixth Man Award — as voted on by a panel of 100 media members across the country.
The NBA will also announce the Executive of the Year, as voted on by team executives. Pritchard deserves serious consideration, along with Boston’s Danny Ainge, Utah’s Dennis Lindsey, and Houston’s Daryl Morey.
Plus, the fan-voted awards: Play, Dunk, Assist, Block, Clutch shot, Handle of the Year … plus, Best Style.
Crispus Attucks High School graduate and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who is 79, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.