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Conflicting reports are emerging out of Pennsylvania, and Kelly Oubre Jr.'s story behind his absence is in question. The Sixers forward announced that he was struck by a car last Saturday and suffered multiple injuries. He hasn't played in the Philadelphia 76ers' last three games and is expected to stay out for longer.
According to Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com, the Sixers stated that he would be re-evaluated in a week. After the accident, Oubre Jr. said he suffered a broken rib, wounds, and lacerations. The NBA community rallied around him and wished him well in his rehabilitation.
However, the latest reports from the Philadelphia Police Department suggest no such incident took place, casting doubt over Oubre Jr.'s story. In an email to The Associated Press, Officer Miguel Torres said that no evidence of a "hit-and-run" can be found. He said:
"No video has been recovered."
As reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson Sergeant Eric Gripp said:
"Surveillance footage recovered so far showed 'no evidence that a crash occurred at the Center City intersection where Oubre reported being hit on Saturday night.'"
The police are not dismissing the claim and are still actively investigating. Officer Miguel Torres mentioned that there is no update on the matter and that an investigation is ongoing into the report that Kelly Oubre Jr. was hit by a car.
However, members of the NBA community, and especially the Philadelphia 76ers, are standing behind Oubre Jr.
Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse supports Kelly Oubre Jr. amid accident speculation
The Philadelphia 76ers are not taking the police department at their word and standing behind Kelly Oubre Jr. Many in the organization, including head coach Nick Nurse, have stated that Oubre has no reason to lie and that they are going to believe him.
Many users remarked in a Reddit thread arguing the assumption that the Philadelphia Police Department is notoriously lousy at discovering evidence of "hit-and-runs," with many people adding their own tale of police dereliction of duty. Several thread participants noted that the police are not the best source for this information because they have little to no tools to uncover the truth.
TMZ suspiciously found the doorbell camera footage of Kelly Oubre Jr. after his accident, which shows the forward limping and wincing in pain. TMZ claims the footage is real and the person in the video is Oubre.
The 27-year-old can be heard telling his wife, Shylynn Oubre, that he was hit by a car.
Coach Nick Nurse said that Oubre Jr. was at the team's practice facility in Camden, New Jersey and he backed his player's story. He said:
"I don't think it's very fair to him to say that he made up some story. I just don't. I'm going to believe him at his word. He's one of our players and we’re going to stand behind him. And so am I. I don’t have any reason not to believe him."
A team spokesperson said that the Sixers have been in touch with the police regarding the investigation. While there is no official timeline for Kelly Oubre Jr.'s return to the NBA, some reports suggest he might be in action by the end of this month. The spokesperson added that he is progressing well and has resumed light physical activity.
He will be officially re-evaluated in a week, and a timeline for his return will be announced.
