INDIANAPOLIS — A few minutes before a choir sang the national anthem at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday night, 10-year-old fan Sam Mefford yelled his encouragement to Orlando Magic shooting guard Victor Oladipo.
"Victor!!!" Sam yelled from his seat in Section 5, near the midcourt stripe. "Go Hoosiers!!!"
Sam wore an Indiana Pacers jersey but he also brought Oladipo's road blue No. 5 Magic jersey to the game. Because Oladipo is an Indiana University alumnus, the young Magic guard is still adored here, even by Pacers fans like Sam, Sam's 10-year-old friend Drew Wolfe and Sam's dad, Todd Mefford.