Getty Kelly Oubre Jr. drives the ball in a game against the Golden State Warriors.
Kelly Oubre Jr.’s tenure with the Golden State Warriors has left a very bad impression on his family members.
The swingman came to the Warriors prior to last season hoping to help push the team beyond a disappointing 2019-20 campaign that saw them fall from the heights of the Western Conference down into the basement. Oubre saw some limited success during his season, but the Warriors stumbled and ultimately lost in the NBA’s newly instituted play-in tournament.
Now, Oubre’s father is speaking out about the season and the “hate” that his son experienced.
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Oubre Sr. Speaks Out
Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole, Oubre Sr. said that his son was unfairly singled out for Golden State’s struggles, both by the franchise and its fans.
“Not really impressed with the hate coming out of the Bay, considering the team had no real long-term plans for Kelly at all last year and beyond, which was obvious at the end,” Oubre Sr. wrote.
Oubre Sr. went on to say that his son made some significant sacrifices for the franchise, playing hurt for much of the season.
“Kelly played a large part of last year with a broken wrist, which never gets brought up,” he said.
Oubre Sr. added that while his son doesn’t have a problem with any of his teammates, he is much happier now with the Charlotte Hornets.
LaMelo Ball and Kelly Oubre Jr. went OFF tonight. 🔥
“He loved his teammates, as he does now, and he’s happy just playing basketball for a coach who told him verbatim that he wanted him not only for his play but also for the professionalism he maintained throughout adversity. And also because of his ability to both lead and follow.”
Oubre averaged 15.4 points and 6 rebounds per game for the Warriors last season, but failed to become the consistent scoring threat that many had hoped. The team was carried to the No. 7 seed in large part due to the MVP-caliber season from Steph Curry, but lost both games of the play-in tournament.
Disappointing End for Oubre
The Warriors made a significant commitment to Oubre during the season. The team was hanging around the fringes of the playoff picture as the trade deadline approached, but reportedly turned down offers for Oubre with the hope that he could become an important part of a playoff run. Marc Stein of the New York Times reported that the Brooklyn Nets offered then-injured guard Spencer Dinwiddie for Oubre, which could have given Golden State an upgrade for the coming season while giving up a player with an expiring contract, but the Warriors refused the offer.
As Poole noted, there was no happy ending for Oubre and the Warriors. As Oubre tried to push through a ligament injury to his left wrist, he ultimately was forced to the sidelines and missed 15 of the final 20 games. There was no playoff run for the Warriors, and Oubre left the team in the last offseason.
Kelly Oubre Jr. went OFF tonight🔥
39 Pts
10/15 3PM
12/18 FG
Oubre has found a good landing spot with the Hornets, averaging 16.7 points per game on a career-best 37.1% three-point shooting.
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