Hornets’ Oubre Jr. has plan to defend Durant
CHARLOTTE – Kelly Oubre Jr. sees Kevin Durant will be making his Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night in Charlotte at Spectrum Center.
So, it’s like that, huh?
“It might have been in God’s cards for him to come back tonight, but we take that kind of personal,” Oubre Jr. said after Wednesday’s morning shootaround. “He can come in against us and our record in our home and he thinks he’s going to come in and get his rhythm. We’ve just got to come out there and follow our game plan and try to win.”
The former Suns wing sat down with The Republic and discussed being married and having a family, the recent injury to Hornets All-Star LaMelo Ball, returning from an injury himself, facing Durant and the Suns and surprising a fan in Phoenix when the Hornets played there back in January.
What’s it been like being a married man and having a baby?
“It’s been an adjustment, man. It’s life. Real responsibilities, but it’s been a blessing because it slowed me down. It’s got my priorities online and now I’m more focused than ever. It’s a blessing.”
Oubre married his longtime love, Shylynn, last summer at Puerto Rico’s lavish St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, People magazine reported in September of last year. They have a baby girl, Málibu.
The Hornets have won a season-long five games in a row, but lost LaMelo Ball to a right ankle fracture.
“That’s been the story of the whole season. Getting guys back and losing guys all season long. We haven’t gotten a break in that aspect. I’m praying for him because that was so unfortunate.”
Ball suffered the injury in the second half of Monday’s win over Detroit.
“To even see it, to be in the arena when it happened, it just took the air out of it. We’ve just got to continue to stay with him through his recovery process. He’ll be back better and stronger than ever. We know that. We’ve just got to do a good job of just staying ready every day and continue to get better like we’ve been doing.”
You’re just coming back from an injury. How has it been being back?
“For me, it’s a little slow. I missed like two months. It’s a little slow, but I’m just trying to take it day by day. Every game is a new opportunity to be better than the game before. I’ve been doing that. So, I’m just going to continue to keep that mindset and just take the process slowly.”
Oubre is coming off an 18-point effort against the Pistons in his third game back from a hand injury that required surgery and sidelined him for 24 games.
Kevin Durant is making his debut. Your thoughts on the matchup with Phoenix with him in it?
“It’s going to be fun. We’re hungry. A lot of people think that we’re just complacent with the season kind of going where it is, but we’re not. We’re really hungry because we’re better than what we are and what the record shows. It might have been in God’s cards for him to come back tonight, but we take that kind of personally. He can come in against us and our record in our home and he thinks he’s going to come in and get his rhythm. We’ve just got to come out there and follow our game plan and try to win.”
What are keys when you’ve defended Durant?
“Make it uncomfortable. Make it uncomfortable. He’s 7-11 (Durant is listed at 6-10, but he’s probably 7-foot). He can see over everybody. He can dribble, he can shoot. Just got to make sure you keep a hand contest in his face and just always stab at the ball when he dribbles. He’s dribbling all the way up to the sky. I feel like I can get a couple of those pokes.”
When Charlotte last played in Phoenix, you autographed a Hornets jersey for a Suns fan who is a huge fan of you. What was that like?
“It was amazing, man. My heart was full just going through that whole experience because they had just told me about that right before I went out to shoot. So I’m like, OK, cool, I’m always down to make somebody smile, but the smile on her face just lit up my whole world.”
The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Suns teamed up to give Breanna Amado, 17, of Surprise, a full day of watching the team’s morning shootaround at the practice facility, attending the Jan. 24 game against Charlotte and meeting All-Star Devin Booker, but she also got a chance to meet Oubre Jr. before the game.
With her leukemia in remission, Amado was shocked to see Oubre walking towards her as she was sitting courtside with her family. Oubre signed his No. 12 Hornets jersey for Amado, gave her a hug and took pictures with the young lady who is a huge fan of his.
“She waited for that. I got traded and then COVID happened. It’s a blessing. There are people out there that really want to meet us and see us play and for us to be able to fulfill that dream is a blessing.”