Kelly Oubre Jr. is undeniably among the key players of this era. Over his illustrious 8-year-long career, he has become a fan-favorite player. Behind the 6’7″ tall NBA player is a humble past that shaped him the way he is today. Oubre Jr.’s parents Kelly Oubre Sr. and Tonya Coleman Oubre parted ways in 1999 when the star was barely 3 years old.
Since that day, Oubre Sr. has been a single parent and source of inspiration for Oubre Jr. They have not only seen the struggle but fought with it to have the life that they have today. Being a single parent already came with its own set of battles.
The two were living in Magnolia Housing projects in New Orleans and Oubre Sr. managed to save enough to shift to a comfortable place of loving. However, Hurricane Katrina which hit Orleans in 2005 led them on roads instead. There were times when the two had to sleep in a truck but Oubre Sr. said “But, hey, we had walls around us”. Notably, he had a positive attitude even in situations like this.
Kelly Oubre Jr. felt hopeless in the face of adversity
Kelly Oubre Jr. was a child who could not support his father Kelly Oubre Sr. felt extremely hopeless in the situation. He said, “I remember feeling hopeless because I couldn’t help my dad financially and I couldn’t help him emotionally”. All that Oubre Jr. could do was be strong, and he undeniably did that in the best way possible. He continues to have that trait even in a comfortable living and professional career.
Furthermore, the NBA star reminisced how it was this time when he realized that he needed to make sure that they didn’t feel this again. He had a moment of gratefulness and said, “Our backs were against the wall, and he got us out that time”. Oubre Jr. afterward made sure that they never faced that type of adversity ever again in their lives.
Kelly Oubre Sr. sacrificed his basketball career for Philadelphia 76ers star
Kelly Oubre Jr. was once asked about teachers or coaches who influenced him. To this, he responded, “One person I would say is Kelly Oubre Sr.”. The star continued to talk about how Oubre Sr. is the best developer and he sacrificed a lot. Additionally, Oubre Jr. revealed that his father is the role model and he gives all the credit to him.
Furthermore, the Philadelphia 76ers star mentioned, “He had to sacrifice his basketball career to raise me so that that’s pretty much everything”. He explained that Oubre Sr. could have just gone to play basketball and chase his dream. However, he chose to be a full-time father and provide all that he possibly could. In turn, Oubre Jr. stated, “So, I can only just provide for him for as long as I possibly can now”.
Notably, the Sixers forward in his childhood saw Oubre Sr. play basketball whenever he got even little time. It has indeed sparked his interest in the sport, and he went for it. The star started playing basketball around the age of seven and made it to the basketball team of the University of Kansas. He played there for a season before declaring his NBA debut in 2015.