Nick Nurse supports Kelly Oubre Jr. as questions swirl around hit-and-run incident: ‘I’m going to believe him at his word’
Nurse said it's not fair to Oubre to insinuate that Oubre, who suffered a broken rib, has made up a story: “I don’t have any reason not to believe him.”
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/X5KCSUCBWJFCFOC3FVTZ4CMBUE.jpg)
Nick Nurse believes that Kelly Oubre Jr. was a victim of an alleged hit-and-run accident at a Center City intersection.
However, surveillance footage recovered shows no evidence that a crash occurred where the 76ers forward reported being hit on Saturday night.
“I don’t have any reason not to believe him,” the Sixers head coach said. “I don’t have any reason not to believe him.”
» READ MORE: Surveillance video does not show hit-and-run against Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. in Center City, police say
In the incident report released Saturday, police said the car accident occurred at 7:20 p.m. near 15th and Spruce Streets. A 27-year-old pedestrian, who was later identified as Oubre, walked westbound on Spruce when a silver vehicle speeding in the same direction attempted to turn south onto Hicks Street. The vehicle reportedly struck him in the upper chest area with the driver’s-side mirror.
After being treated by medics at the scene, Oubre was transported to Thomas Jefferson University, where he received care for a broken rib and injuries to his hip and leg. Sgt. Eric Gripp, a Police Department spokesman, told The Inquirer the department “currently does not have any video or photographic evidence that depicts this collision.”
Gripp noted the police have not accused Oubre of anything and said the investigation is ongoing.
Nurse was asked if he would be concerned if members of law enforcement were to say Oubre’s report is not true in the future.
“Yeah, it would if we get to that point,” Nurse said. “Listen, like I said before, I believe Kelly at his word. I don’t have any other conversations or anything right now to comment on. I’m concentrating on this game. If some more evidence or anything else comes to light, we will handle it when it comes to light.”
Nurse continued to throw his full support behind Oubre, suggesting Oubre should not be questioned for making up the accident to hide something that could violate his contract.
“Listen, I don’t think it’s very fair to him to say that he’s made up some story,” he said. “I just don’t. I’m going to believe him at his word. He’s one of our players, and we’re going to stand behind him. So am I.”