SUMMARY
- Joel Embiid hit Mitchell Robinson with a dirty move in Game 3 of 76ers vs Knicks.
- Kelly Oubre Jr. defends his teammate and claims that Embiid had to protect himself.
Kelly Oubre Jr. made the decision to stand up for Joel Embiid and defend his actions during the most recent game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks. Both NBA franchises have matched up as the 2nd and 7th positioned teams in the Eastern Conference and are looking to advance to the Conference semi-finals by winning their first-round matchup.
During Game 3 of this series, Joel Embiid ended up pulling off a dirty move that could have certainly injured Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks. However, Embiid received no punishment, and the game concluded with the 76ers defeating the Knicks.
In the aftermath, Kelly Oubre Jr. was interviewed and asked to share his thoughts on this altercation. Now that the context has been provided, let us take a closer look at the situation and find out more.
Kelly Oubre Jr. defends Joel Embiid in the wake of heavy criticism
It should be no real surprise that Oubre decided to defend Embiid. After all, Kelly joined the 76ers recently and Embiid is the face of the franchise. Calling out the team’s leader over one subjective play would undoubtedly hurt the dynamics between players on the roster.
When interviewed, Kelly Oubre Jr. shared his belief that Embiid did nothing wrong and should not be held accountable. Moreover, he attempted to downplay the entire situation by drawing comparisons to the WWE.
“I’ve seen that happen before and I was on the other end of it…So at the end of the day, like, I don’t think it’s dirty man. Jo has to protect himself. At the end of the day, I’m not gonna comment on what they’re commenting on because at the end of the day, they’re gonna hit and then we hit back and then they cry, and then vice versa, whatever the case may be…”
Kelly Oubre Jr on Joel Embiid’s foul on Mitchell Robinson:
“I’ve seen that happen before, though, and I was on the other end of it. At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s dirty…Let’s just hoop, let’s go out there and play hard. Nobody finna fight. This ain’t WWE.” pic.twitter.com/ibzyx0VtES
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) April 27, 2024
Oubre continued, “It’s like, let’s just hoop, Let’s go out there and play hard and nobody’s gonna fight. This ain’t WWE. So at the end of the day, stand on the stuff that’ll say so we’ll see tomorrow how they react.”
While fans are free to decide for themselves where they stand on this particular issue, it is fair to assume that Kelly Oubre Jr. would be singing a very different tune if the roles had been reversed with Embiid on the receiving end of a dangerous and dirty basketball play.
Should Joel Embiid be punished for his foul on Mitchell Robinson?
To those who may not have watched the game, Joel Embiid attempted to grab Mitchell Robinson’s leg and pull him to the ground in order to prevent the Knicks star from securing an offensive rebound. In such a situation, it was quite possible for Robinson to sustain some form of ankle injury or even worse.
In any case, the 76ers star is not expected to face any serious punishment for his actions and is expected to suit up for the upcoming Game 4. All the Knicks can do at this point is remain focused on the series while attempting to send Embiid and the 76ers home in the first round.