Kelly Oubre wants to succeed and has a lot of support behind him.
Kelly Oubre entered the game in front of the Sixers’ home crowd for the first time since Philly’s victory over the Boston Celtics on November 8 during the first quarter of the Philadelphia 76ers’ Friday night victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
After being involved in an off-court accident that resulted in a fractured rib, Oubre was warmly welcomed back to the game. At first, it was unclear when Oubre would be back, but it looked like he might miss a significant portion of the campaign. Luckily, he only missed 11 games before returning, preventing a serious setback.
The Sixers fan base showed even more support for the seasoned reserve when Oubre reported for his 23-minute stint against the Hawks on Friday.
“It was love, man, I appreciate all of the support from the fans,” Oubre said after the game. “All the support from, you know, my teammates, my coach, it’s just surreal, man.”
The seasoned wing’s 2023–2024 NBA season is crucial. Oubre, who is playing for a second long-term contract while on a minimum deal, is in his ninth NBA season. The Sixers were seeing a significant return on their modest investment in Oubre.
Oubre had a great season through the first eight games, averaging 16 points on 38 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He was useful both as a starting five member and a substitute. His progress was halted by the injury, which forced him into a recuperation period. With Oubre’s dependable services gone, the Sixers finished with a 5–6 record.
With an average of 21 minutes off the bench and 12 points per game since his return, Oubre has been a crucial component of Philadelphia’s recent two-game winning streak. Although Oubre is aware that anything can happen and that he cannot predict the future, the 28-year-old veteran wants to stay healthy in order to “pay it forward” this season after getting so much support during his recovery.
“I don’t want to get hurt again because I feel bad they have to show me love off of something that kind of weird and tragic,” he finished. “At the end of the day, man, I’ll pay it forward. I go hard each and every game I step on the court.”
On Monday night, Oubre is scheduled to play in his third straight game against his former team, the Washington Wizards. At 7:00 PM ET, the Sixers and Wizards are scheduled to tip off.