About

You’re Kelly Oubre, playing as a player. (Stops at the 2015 NBA Draft) Kelly Paul Oubre Jr. was born December 9, 1995, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the second child of Kelly Oubre Sr. and Tonya Coleman. Early years were spent in the Magnolia public housing projects before the family settled in the Eastover section of the city. He attended Edward Hynes Elementary School and played for three teams through the Milne Boys Home (later the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission). Basketball was present but not yet the center of his world—taekwondo came first, a discipline his father insisted he finish, earning a black belt before fully committing to the court. In August 2005, just before he was to start fourth grade, Hurricane Katrina forced a sudden departure. Kelly Sr. packed what they could and drove west through the night to Houston. The levees broke behind them. Their school flooded. Their neighborhood would take years to recover. Father and son rebuilt life in the Richmond / Fort Bend area of Texas. Kelly Sr. worked multiple jobs—security, stocking, teaching—while raising his son largely alone after the parents’ earlier separation. He trained Kelly in plyometrics, shot with him late at night, and pushed the idea that the process itself was the only reliable path forward. Kelly attended George Bush High School in Fort Bend, Texas. He grew rapidly, developed into a high-flying, versatile wing, and averaged over 22 points per game as a junior. College coaches began appearing in the gym. For his senior year he transferred to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada—a basketball-focused program known for preparing elite prospects. There he averaged 23 points a game, earned McDonald’s All-American honors, and rose into the national top-15 recruiting rankings. In October 2013 he committed to the University of Kansas, choosing the Jayhawks over other major programs. During this stretch of high-school and early college life, Kelly began dating Madison Beer, the rising singer from New York. Their relationship started quietly amid the travel of AAU circuits, showcase events, and the constant movement between Texas, Nevada, and eventually Lawrence. She became a steady presence—someone outside the basketball bubble who understood the pressure of being young and visible. Late-night FaceTimes after practices, quiet support during the grind of the one-and-done year, and the shared sense that both were chasing something larger than themselves formed a private thread through the public climb. At Kansas in the 2014–15 season, Oubre played all 36 games, starting 27. He averaged 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in limited minutes, earned Big 12 All-Newcomer Team honors, and showed flashes of the explosive athleticism and defensive potential that scouts loved. The year was not always smooth—early bench time, inconsistency on the road—but the process continued. On April 1, 2015, he declared for the NBA Draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility. On draft night in June 2015, the Atlanta Hawks selected Kelly Oubre Jr. with the 15th overall pick. His rights were immediately traded to the Washington Wizards. The kid who had left New Orleans in the dark, who had learned to keep rising through relocation, long hours, and constant adjustment, had reached the league. The journey from the cracked courts of post-Katrina Texas, through Findlay Prep and Allen Fieldhouse, ended—for this chapter—on a stage in New York with a team cap on his head and the next chapter already waiting.