‘It could have been much worse’: Sixers ‘relieved’ Kelly Oubre Jr. is recovering after being struck by car

As Kelly Oubre Jr. sat down to speak to reporters following Saturday’s 76ers practice, he joked that his cameo-colored outfit was “Kelly” green. He answered questions on topics ranging from the NBA’s new in-season tournament, to playing alongside Tyrese Maxey, to fluctuating roles while coach Nick Nurse figures out the wing rotation following the blockbuster James Harden trade. He finished the session with his catchphrase, “Love is love.”

Hours later, Oubre was at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital after being struck by a car as a pedestrian near his Center City residence in what Nurse described as “shocking” and a “traumatic incident.” It was a jarring reminder of how life can change in an instant, a feeling that lingered with Sixers players and staff leading into Sunday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.

“Our emphasis is to make sure he’s good,” starting forward Tobias Harris said from his locker before the game. “That’s our brother. That’s our teammate. Truth be told, it’s a game, but we care more about himself and his health over everything.

“Everybody’s relieved that it wasn’t anything worse than that. We’ll be excited and feel better once we see him and know that he’s [good].”

» READ MORE: Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. suffers broken rib, injuries to hip and right leg after getting hit by a car

Oubre was released from the hospital late Saturday night after being treated for a fractured rib, along with injuries to his hip and right leg that are not are not career-threatening. But he is expected to miss significant playing time following an impressive start to the season. Oubre averaged 16.3 points on 50% shooting and 5.1 rebounds through the Sixers’ first eight games and slid into the starting lineup after P.J. Tucker was part of the Harden trade.

Yet Oubre’s basketball impact was, understandably, not at the top of the Sixers’ mind as Saturday turned into Sunday. Though the nine-year veteran has only been with the Sixers since becoming a late free-agent signee in September, his playing style and personality had quickly endeared him to fans and teammates.

Multiple team representatives, including president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, were at the hospital with Oubre. Nurse was at home Saturday night “locked in” on watching games, when he received multiple phone calls from Morey and director of athlete care Simon Rice with the news. Public support from teammates began to surface on social media late Saturday night.

“I hope that he’s feeling better and that he’s going to come back as soon as possible,” said reserve wing Furkan Korkmaz, whose locker is next to Oubre’s. “But as long as we are basketball players, we are regular humans. This is something that can happen to everybody.”

Added Nurse: “You’re trying to get the information about how bad is it and how much has happened. … At the end, you’re kind of saying, ‘Surely, it could have been much worse.’ He’s at least home and, again, not as bad as maybe feared at the beginning. You’re thankful for that.”

About an hour before Sunday’s matchup against the Pacers, Oubre’s locker was closed. But on a digital screen on the opposite side of the same wall, one group photo from training camp featured Oubre flashing an over-exaggerated smile with his palms in the air. In another photo, he is crouching and throwing up a peace sign.

» READ MORE: Nick Nurse is happy with the Sixers’ start, ‘but there’s a long way to go’

Nurse hopes Oubre can rejoin the Sixers to observe practices as soon as Tuesday. He will be physically reevaluated in about a week, which should provide a better idea of his recovery timeline.

And while NBA teams regularly deal with unexpected injuries or player absences, Nurse acknowledged the emotions surrounding this scenario are unique. When Nurse spoke to Oubre Sunday afternoon, however, Oubre relayed a message of, “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“We’ll see how it affects us going forward,” Nurse said. “But hopefully, we’ll pull together and try to get him a ‘W’ today.”