Kelly Oubre Jr., Charlotte Hornets. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Kelly Oubre was not cool enough to keep his cool when battling his former Golden State teammate Steph Curry in Charlotte.
Kelly Oubure may play for the Charlotte Hornets now, but everybody knows the Queen City’s favorite son is Steph Curry.
In his lone trip to Charlotte this NBA season, the Golden State Warriors point guard put on a show for the hometown faithful. Oubre had a big bucket from long distance with the clock winding down in the third quarter. In a great display of one-upsmanship, Curry drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer with Oubre guarding him. This gave the Warriors an 88-87 lead at the end of three in Charlotte.
This was the sequence that had all of The Hive buzzing.
Unfortunately for Oubre, it only got weirder in the early minutes of the fourth quarter. He intercepted a pass to take it coast-to-coast for an easy transition lay-up. After putting it through the hoop, Oubre was assessed a double technical by the official to be ejected from the game.
Did Curry stealing his shine totally rattle Oubre? Possibly, but what a turn of events for the Hornet!
Kelly Oubre gets double technical in aftermath of Steph Curry stealing his shine
This is the type of inherent pettiness that makes the NBA a league unlike any other. You can be petty in baseball, but the opposing pitcher will throw at you. You can taunt in the NFL as long as the zebras aren’t looking your way, but too bad the opposition will drive you into the turf trying to burrow through your soul. But in the NBA, anything and everything like this is totally in bounds.
Oubre is an excellent player, but Curry is a generational talent. This is the type of stuff Curry is known to do from time to time. Charlotte might be having a good season, but the Warriors are off to an even hotter start this year. With this being Curry’s lone trip back home this season, you better believe he was going to put on a show for the home crowd. Oubre had to exit stage left.
Curry clearly got the best of his former Warriors teammate and Oubure lost it shortly thereafter.