Sunday might have been the most love Kelly Oubre Jr. has gotten at a Washington Wizards game. And he didn’t even play.
The Wizards swingman was suspended for Game 4 of his team’s second-round NBA playoff series against the Boston Celtics after bull-rushing Kelly Olynyk in Game 3. The suspension didn’t really come as much of a surprise (just watch the play for yourself), but don’t tell that to team owner Ted Leonsis.
Leonsis and his son both showed up to Verizon Center on Sunday rocking Oubre’s No. 12 jersey over their business attire, with the Wizards owner even tweeting out a photo of himself with the hashtag “#FreeOubre.”
Lest Washington fans didn’t see Leonsis’ show of support for Oubre, everyone in the building for Game 4 received a blatant reminder on their ticket stubs, which prominently featured a certain Wizards role player who averaged 6.3 points per game this season.
Coincidence? We think not.
If you think this is a little over the top, Leonsis clearly doesn’t share your viewpoint — in the owner’s mind, Oubre shouldn’t have been suspended at all.
“I thought Kelly was punished a little bit more than deserved,” Leonsis told CSN Mid-Atlantic before Sunday’s game. “I was right there and he did get hit pretty good in the head. It’s not like this is the first time that player (Kelly Olynyk) has been headhunting.”
Fortunately for Leonsis, the Wizards didn’t need Oubre, as they used a strong second-half run to cruise to a 121-102 win and even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
