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Kelenna Azubuike

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Kelenna David Azubuike (born 16 December 1983)[1] is an English-born Nigerian-American former professional basketball player and currently the Golden State Warriors television analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area.

Kelenna Azubuike
Azubuke in 2016
Personal information
Born (1983-12-16) 16 December 1983 (age 40)
London, England
NationalityAmerican/ Nigerian
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolVictory Christian
(Tulsa, Oklahoma)
CollegeKentucky (2002–2005)
NBA draft2005: undrafted
Playing career2005–2012
PositionShooting guard / small forward
Number7, 4
Career history
2005–2007Fort Worth Flyers
2007–2010Golden State Warriors
2012Dallas Mavericks
2012→Texas Legends
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-SEC (2005)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Born in London to Nigerian parents, Azubuike moved to the United States as a child. He was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he became a standout player at Victory Christian High School, and was eventually recruited to play for the Wildcats of the University of Kentucky. After finishing his junior season in college, Azubuike declared himself eligible for the 2005 NBA draft, eventually going undrafted that year. Azubuike then played for the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League, leading the league in scoring during the 2006–07 season and eventually being called up to play for the Golden State Warriors.

Early life

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Azubuike was born in London, England, to Nigerian parents Kenneth and Chi Azubuike.[2] His parents were doctors and had moved to London for work. Azubuike relocated with his family to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1989 when his father was offered a fellowship at Saint Francis Hospital; his family became American citizens.[2] Playing for Victory Christian High School, Azubuike led his team to the state title as a sophomore.[1] He eventually became an All-State selection, averaging 39.1 points and 13.3 rebounds and leading his team to the Class 4A State Championship Game as a senior.[1] He was the top scorer in the state of Oklahoma during his last three seasons of high school, averaging 28.5 points as a sophomore and 38.7 points as a junior.[1] Azubuike finished his prep career with 3,530 points, 89 points short of the all-time state scoring mark.[1]

Considered a four-star recruit by Scout.com, Azubuike was listed as the No. 8 small forward and the No. 34 player in the nation in 2002.[3]

College career

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Playing under coach Tubby Smith, Azubuike said that the biggest improvement to his game at Kentucky was the ability to create offense through intense defense.[4] As a junior, Azubuike was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the Associated Press and the league's coaches after leading the team and ranking tenth in the SEC in points per game, averaging 14.7 overall.[1] Azubuike was named to the 2005 SEC All-Tournament Team after averaging 18.0 points in three contests.[1] During his time with the organization, Azubuike helped the Wildcats to earn two Southeastern Conference titles, two SEC Tournament titles, and two NCAA Elite Eight appearances.[1] Azubuike averaged 10.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 97 career games at the University of Kentucky, shooting a 48.5% field goal average for his college career.[1] While attending the University of Kentucky, Azubuike majored in business marketing.[1]

Professional career

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Fort Worth Flyers (2005–2007)

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In April 2005, Azubuike announced his plans to enter the draft after his junior year, signing with agent Joel Bell and ending his college eligibility.[5] In the 2005–06 season, Azubuike averaged 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in forty-one games with the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA's Developmental League.[6] Azubuike played with the Denver Nuggets in the 2006 Toshiba Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 16.4 points and finished tied at tenth in the league in scoring.[6] In August 2006, Azubuike was signed by the Houston Rockets as a free agent, but eventually waived by October.[6] Playing for Fort Worth of the Development League again, Azubuike averaged 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.17 steals, and a league-best 26.0 points in 37.7 minutes per contest, shooting 51.4% from the field and 48.5% from three-point range over twelve games.[4][7]

Golden State Warriors (2007–2010)

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After going undrafted, Azubuike was signed by the Golden State Warriors on 2 January 2007.[4] Azubuike was the first Gatorade Call-Up of the 2006–07 NBA Development League season, and the 49th player overall to be called up to the NBA since the D-League began play in November 2001.[7] During his second season with Golden State, Azubuike expressed an interest in playing for the British team during the build-up to the 2012 London Olympic Games, but was denied British citizenship under the 1981 British Nationality Act.[8] He was also eligible to play for the Nigeria national team.[9] On 17 July 2008, Azubuike signed an offer sheet with the Los Angeles Clippers for a three-year deal worth $9 million, with Golden State having seven days to match the offer.[10] In the final hour, Golden State matched the offer made by the Clippers on 24 July 2008, allowing Azubuike to remain a Warrior.[11]

On 17 November 2009, it was announced that Azubuike would miss the rest of the 2009–10 season after tearing his right patellar tendon in a game at the Milwaukee Bucks.[12]

On 9 July 2010, Azubuike was traded to the New York Knicks along with Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and a future second-round pick in a sign and trade deal for David Lee.[13] Azubuike never played in a game for the Knicks. He was waived by the Knicks on 28 February 2011.[14]

Dallas Mavericks (2012)

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On 23 March 2012, Azubuike was signed by the Dallas Mavericks.

Texas Legends (2012)

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As part of his comeback, he was assigned to the Mavericks' D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends.[15] On 9 April 2012, he was recalled by the Mavericks.[16] On 20 April 2012, Azubuike played in his first NBA game since 14 November 2009, against the Golden State Warriors.[17] On 28 June 2012, during the 2012 NBA draft, Azubuike was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.[18] He was waived by the Cavaliers on 14 October 2012.[19]

Broadcasting career

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In the summer of 2015, Azubuike attended the Sportscaster U. program at Syracuse University sponsored by the NBPA, training for a career in broadcasting.[20] Since then, he has been assigned to announce 11 of the 19 NBA D-League games produced by NBA TV in 2016.[21] Various of these games have been broadcast by ESPNU.[22]

He joined NBC Sports Bay Area in 2015, covering Warriors games as a studio analyst for the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows. Beginning in 2019, he became the television analyst alongside Bob Fitzgerald, replacing Jim Barnett, who had been the color analyst for the last 34 seasons and is now the color analyst on KGMZ-FM's 95.7 The Game. Azubuike has also worked as an analyst for the NBA on ESPN Radio since 2022.[23]

Personal life

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Azubuike has three siblings: Nonzo, Nesochi and Adaeze.[1] He is a Christian music fan and enjoys creating his own music.[1] During the 2006–07 season, Azubuike made an appearance on Bay Area hip hop station KMEL and conducted an interview while the station played music which he personally produced.[1] Azubuike is a Christian.[24]

Azubuike has been involved with many humanitarian causes during his time in the NBA. Azubuike accepted a personal invitation from Jakaya Kikwete, the President of Tanzania, to take part in Leon H. Sullivan Summit VIII, a five-day convention held from 2 to 6 June 2008 in Arusha, Tanzania. The convention brought together many of the world's political and business leaders to focus attention and resources on Africa's economic and social development.[25]

Azubuike is also the co-founder of The Athletes' Corner, which is a nonprofit organization working with professional athletes to create faith-based and family-focused media content.

NBA career statistics

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2006–07 Golden State 41 9 16.3 .445 .430 .782 2.3 .7 .5 .2 7.1
2007–08 Golden State 81 17 21.4 .445 .364 .717 4.0 .9 .6 .4 8.5
2008–09 Golden State 74 51 32.1 .464 .448 .808 5.0 1.6 .8 .7 14.4
2009–10 Golden State 9 7 25.7 .545 .370 .679 4.6 1.1 .6 1.0 13.9
2011–12 Dallas 3 0 6.0 .375 .333 .000 .0 .0 .3 .0 2.3
Career 208 84 24.2 .459 .409 .770 4.0 1.1 .6 .5 10.5

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2007 Golden State 6 0 2.5 .333 .000 1.000 .7 .0 .2 .0 0.7
2012 Dallas 1 0 5.0 .333 1.000 .000 1.0 .0 1.0 .0 3.0
Career 7 0 2.7 .333 .500 1.000 .7 .0 .3 .0 1.0

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "NBA.com : Kelenna Azubuike Bio Page". NBA.com. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
  2. ^ a b Strain, Mike (8 July 2001). "Azubuike destined for greatness All the hoopla not just hype - this kid can play". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  3. ^ Kelenna Azubuike Recruiting Profile
  4. ^ a b c Maloney, Mark. "Ex-Cat Azubuike earning respect of NBA peers : KentuckySports.com". KentuckySports.com. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
  5. ^ "SI.com – NCAA Basketball – UK's Morris remains in draft as deadline passes – Tuesday June 21, 2005". Sports Illustrated. 21 June 2005. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
  6. ^ a b c "InsideHoops.com – Kelenna Azubuike released by Houston Rockets". Inside Hoops. Retrieved 2 January 2007.
  7. ^ a b "WARRIORS: Warriors Sign Kelenna Azubuike to Contract". NBA.com. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  8. ^ Whittell, Ian (31 December 2007). "Blow for Britain as London-born Kelenna Azubuike is denied passport – Times Online". The Times. Retrieved 31 December 2007.[dead link‍]
  9. ^ Rushworth, Simon (11 April 2007). "Kelenna spoilt for choice". Express. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  10. ^ Stein, Marc (18 July 2008). "Sources: Clips sign swingman Azubuike to three-year offer sheet – NBA – ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
  11. ^ "Warriors keep Azubuike, match Clippers' offer – NBA – ESPN". ESPN. 24 July 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  12. ^ Marcus Thompson II. "Warriors' Kelenna Azubuike out for the season, C.J. Watson has swine flu". San Jose Mercury News. 17 November 2009. Retrieved on 17 November 2009.
  13. ^ "Knicks Acquire Randolph, Azubuike & Turiaf". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  14. ^ Knicks waive guard Kelenna Azubuike
  15. ^ Kelenna Azubuike to Mavericks
  16. ^ "Kelenna Azubuike gets call to replace Lamar Odom". ESPN. 9 April 2012.
  17. ^ "Azubike plays in first NBA game in three seasons". allkyhoops.com. 21 April 2012.
  18. ^ Mavs add Kelenna Azuibuike to trade
  19. ^ Cavaliers Waive Keleena Azubuike
  20. ^ "UK basketball notebook: Ex-Cats Azubuike, Mohammed take crash course in broadcasting". Kentucky Sports. 15 July 2015.
  21. ^ "NBA D-League Alum Kelenna Azubuike Heading To Broadcast Booth For D-League Showcase". DLeagueDigest.com. 3 January 2016.
  22. ^ "ESPNU to Televise 11 Regular-Season NBA D-League Games Starting in January". dleague.nba.com. 7 January 2016.
  23. ^ Poole, Monte (26 July 2019). "Kelenna Azubuike to be Warriors TV game analyst; Jim Barnett to radio". Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  24. ^ Sarachik, Justin (13 June 2014). "Former NBA Star Kelenna Azubuike Shares Details on New Faith Based Film 'Midrange' and Being a Christian Among Pro-Athletes (VIDEO INTERVIEW)". Breathecast. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  25. ^ "WARRIORS: Kelenna Azubuike: On A Mission To Tanzania". NBA.com. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
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