Washington Wizards Ex Kelly Oubre Jr. Says He's 'Finally in the NBA' With Philadelphia 76ers
Former Washington Wizards player Kelly Oubre Jr. had an interview with senior lead NBA insider for The Athletic Shams Charania and talked about his exit from the Charlotte Hornets in free agency.
Oubre originally entered the NBA as a first-round draft pick in 2015 for the Atlanta Hawks but had his draft rights traded to the Wizards.
Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) and forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) react after a play in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Before he could stick with Washington he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in a deal that brought Trevor Ariza back and in 2022 Oubre had a career year with the Hornets averaging 20.3 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game.
READ MORE: Ex-Wizards Star Coming Back to Washington For First Time
Charania asked him about how he felt about last offseason coming off a career year in Charlotte.
"Yeah I mean it was definitely - was very disheartening," Oubre said in response. "You know I gave it my all, to that city, as I do every single team."
You could tell in listening to the interview he really did like being with the Hornets and wanted to stay but in the NBA sometimes things just don't work out.
"I guess my efforts felt as if they were a little unappreciated," Oubre continued. "You would think averaging 20, having career years and things like that would be enough but it wasn't."
Fortunately for Oubre the Philadelphia 76ers did notice his play last year and added him to their already very good lineup.
He will look to continue to prove people wrong and carry that underdog role he feels he has this year.
READ MORE: Chemistry Still Work in Progress For New Wizards
So far this season Oubre has been a great fit for the 76ers averaging 19 points per game and helping fill the scoring void they're missing with guard James Harden traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
"Coming into this new opportunity and see how much they put into the team, into the players," Oubre said speaking on his new team. "I really feel like I'm finally in the NBA now."
Who knows if Oubre was taking parting shots at his previous teams or not but it seems like he is loving it in Philadelphia, and vice versa, and will have a chance to make a huge impact with a playoff team.
While Oubre struggled to find his spot with the Wizards, he did show glimpses of being a good 3&D player in the NBA.
During his best year in Washington, he averaged 11.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game and shot 34 percent from three-point range.
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