76ers' Kelly Oubre Talks Rib Injury, Return vs. Wizards After 'Traumatic Situation'

Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. is set to return from an 11-game absence in Wednesday's matchup against the Washington Wizards, and he set the record straight on the situation that kept him sidelined for the first time on Monday.

Oubre, who said that he was struck by a vehicle while walking near his home in Philadelphia's Center City on Nov. 11, addressed the detractors who questioned his account of the incident. Philadelphia police said later last month that they had not found video evidence of a hit-and-run, but Oubre maintains that he is still shaken up by the incident.

"This was and is a very traumatic situation for me and my family," Oubre told reporters Monday at the Sixers' complex in New Jersey, per ESPN. "So, I just wish that my life wasn't like 'The Truman Show' where everybody kind of watched it and have their own opinion about my life."

Police said at the time of the incident that Oubre was taken to a hospital in stable condition and was released a few hours later with a broken rib and injuries to his hip and right leg. An investigation into the matter was also underway, and police have been in touch with the Sixers organization. Oubre told authorities that the car was silver in color and fled the scene.

"I've spoken to the police about this situation, and they have an ongoing investigation," Oubre said. "I've spoken to who I need to speak to about it and people with the way that it is, and I won't be speaking on any details about that because they're looking into it."

Oubre also said he wasn't pleased with how the inability to find video evidence took away from the validity of his experience.

"This is very hard for us to have to deal with and for me to miss being on the court, which keeps me sane, and a lot of people were very inconsiderate and insensitive to try to worry about video cameras," Oubre said while declining to get into specifics. "So yeah, I mean, I'm just really blessed that it wasn't worse than what it is and I'm able to come back to work and smile and walk and talk and breathe. So yeah, that's just what I have to say about the conspiracy theorists. I love them, too. I sit there on my downtime and look at them, but not with my life. This s--t serious."

Oubre, who signed with the Sixers on Sept. 26, was off to a solid start to the 2023-24 season with an average of 16.3 points through eight games with five starts. Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse said he'd "probably fire him right back in there" against Washington, which bodes well for Oubre, who said he's "ready to hoop."