African-American culture has always been deeply rooted in the NBA. In 2023, 70.4% of all players were African-American, making it the league that has the highest percentage of black players of any major professional sports league in the United States and Canada. And one of the many is the Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr.

Kelly has always been outwardly spoken of his upbringing and its impact on the star he is today. After being picked up by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2015 draft as the 15th overall pick, he drifted in and out of a bunch of the Association’s finest, finally settling with the 76ers in 2023. After all this, it’s safe to say that Kelly Sr. will be more than proud of his son’s achievements so far. But what is his family’s background?

Who are Kelly Oubre Jr.’s parents?

“He had to sacrifice his basketball career to raise me, so that’s pretty much everything,” says Kelly about his dad. Kelly Oubre Sr. used to work three jobs, including selling ads in Yellow Pages, working nights at Sam’s Club, and as a teacher- all so that his son could be the player he’s dreamt of all his life. Tsunami Papi lived his childhood in New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina spoiled their plans, forcing them to flee to Richmond, Texas.

Kelly Jr. avidly watched his dad play basketball growing up. Papa Oubre used to play for his high school, a dream he could not pursue due to the fact that he ‘had to get a job’. He even studied physiology so he could take care of his son’s plyometric exercises. Talk about a supportive dad. But pro ball wasn’t on Junior’s list of aspirations at the start- he was doing karate at the time. His newfound goal didn’t make him forget about the ones in progression though.

“That’s his first sense of accomplishment. So I can always go back to that as something he wanted to stop, but he kept going as a point of reference so we can move forward.” This was when Kelly was reminiscing of his dad’s impact on his play- he got his son to get his black belt in karate, wanting him to learn not to give up on any goal. Sounds a little too familiar, doesn’t it? Senior knew the hardships he faced growing up with his dad, Kelly Jr.’s grandfather, saying that he felt ‘hopeless’ at the time due to not being able to help him financially and emotionally- something he never wanted his son to feel. But did that stop him? No.

“But we were never victims of anything. That was for somebody else. No. No. Hell no. I don’t raise victims because I’m not a victim. I told him that. We’re not victims of anything. In New Orleans, we were surviving. In Houston, after a while, we were living,” says Kelly Sr. His unending love for the sport and the perks of living in a community passionate about basketball helped get his son to follow the sport professionally. Senior’s African-American grit and determination are clearly seen in Junior’s plays on the paint, something which he’s instilled in his kid since his divorce from his wife, Tonya Coleman.

Kelly Oubre Sr. and Tonya Coleman got divorced in 1999 when Junior was just 4 years old. There isn’t much information available about her online- just that she’s a New Louisiana native like her ex-husband, and that she’s also of African-American descent.

A deep dive into Kelly Oubre Jr.’s pre-NBA career

Oubre Jr. attended George Bush High School in Fort Bend, Texas, before transferring to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada, for his senior year. Upon graduating, he pledged his allegiances to the University of Kansas, playing for the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2014-15 season, despite offers from Kentucky and Florida.

Coming into his first year of college basketball, he was regarded as a ‘top prospect’ by the likes of ESPN and Rivals. In his solitary season for the Jayhawks, he played all 36 games, starting 27 of them. He led all the Kansas freshmen in scoring, which explains the 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. This got him into the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team list. Hardcore Kansas fans would remember his 2 double-doubles against Lafayette (23 points, 10 rebounds) and UNLV (12 points, 10 rebounds). Seeing his high standards set from the get-go, he decided to forgo the final 3 years of his collegiate career and declared himself for the 2015 NBA draft.

Tsunami Papi’s African-American roots speak volumes about his persona on the hardwood. If you have someone like Kelly Oubre Jr., not just as your dad but also your basketball mentor growing up, you’re pretty much destined for greatness.

Kelly Oubre Jr.’s career is like a case study on his own- showing what a supporting father figure can do for your career. And look at him now, are you not entertained?!