Theres a better way to live. Kelenna Azubuike (@KelennA7) . While he was somehow able to keep pace with the other guards, he knew it was time to retire if he wanted the retain the ability to walk in future years. While his NBA career was cut short by a devastating freak injury less than three years later, a broadcasting career was born that night. And not to worry, Bob Fitzgerald wont be forcibly retired either. Though Azubuikes style will differ a bit from that of Barnett a natural, given the generational gap one thing that wont change is honesty and objectivity. He bridges eras and generations with absolute clarity. Unlike past years, Lucia did not include any analysis and/or fan commentary with the rankings, so we don't know exactly what kind of gripes fans had against the work of Fitzgerald and Azubuike. You dont have to put on makeup.. Austin Rivers is not happy with comments that the Golden State Warriors' broadcasting team made on Tuesday night. On January 2, 2007, the Golden State Warriors signed Azubuike to shore up their injury-plagued backcourt. Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? Jim has been a fixture on our broadcast team for over three decades and has served as a comforting and trusted voice for our fans during several different eras of Warriors basketball, Welts said. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages. He ferociously toes the company line, to an off-putting extent. [3], He played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the Georgia Stars in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL). He loves the game, he loves the players, and he very clearly loved his old job. [4]Azubuike was selected to play in the 2016 McDonald's All-American Boys Game,[5] Jordan Brand Classic,[6] and Nike Hoop Summit. Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies. [10] In the final hour, Golden State matched the offer made by the Clippers on 24 July 2008, allowing Azubuike to remain a Warrior. The double hype-man/yes-man experiment has failed. [15] Its more akin to Lacob-ism, and before that, Cohan-ism. [24], Azubuike has been involved with many humanitarian causes during his time in the NBA. Im very grateful for everything Ive had over the years. Barnett was willing to criticize when the situation called for it, and Azubuike expects to do the same. Lets not settle for just Barnett, though. Its always a minorly uplifting sight when the camera fleetingly catches him calling Warriors games. After that, Fitzgerald and Azubuike laughed while they mocked the accent of the Argentinian Campazzo. This is a carousel. Basketball Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Sports enterprise reporter Ron Kroichick has worked at The San Francisco Chronicle since 1995, when he came from The Sacramento Bee. His comments on myself and Facu were beyond disrespectful. [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. [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. or is he playing somewhere else? Its really an honor, and Im super humbled the Warriors believe in me, Azubuike said in a phone interview. No NBA player has made a full recovery from this injury, it is much closer to an Achilles tear vs an ACL tear in severity. Please enter a valid email and try again. In the studio, we talk about what we think is going to happen (in Warriors Pregame), or our interpretation of what has happened (in Warriors Postgame). Warriors replace Jim Barnett with Kelenna Azubuike as TV color analyst, How much are the Warriors worth? It ended badly, A $200M bike bridge tantalized this Bay Area city. [1] During the 200607 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. After playing on the Golden State squad that upset Dallas in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, Azubuike averaged 13.9 points through the first nine games of the 2009-10 season under then . I hope I can do this for many years to come.. 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. Approx. In Azubuike's defense, he is very eager to point out split-action or a nice hesitation (hesi) move and is always cognizant when someone achieves Beast Mode (and occasionally God Mode). Why the Warriors should replace Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike with Jim Barnett and Baron Davis. 27, trade center Tony Bradley and 38th pick to Pistons", 2020 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Udoka_Azubuike&oldid=1122683863, All-American college men's basketball players, Basketball players from Jacksonville, Florida, Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players, Nigerian expatriate basketball people in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 November 2022, at 00:36. Weird vibes. The couple recently made headlines after getting married earlier in October 2022. 7 off his back . [27] He underwent season-ending surgery on January 9, 2019. Azubuike was selected with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. Warriors vs. Pelicans injury report: So many absences for both teams. Azubuike lost his father to an undiagnosed disease at the age of 10. Privacy Policy. Kelenna David Azubuike (born 16 December 1983) [1] is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player and currently the Golden State Warriors television analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area . Its even the sort of splashy move that would appeal to Lacobs Light Years brain. He instigated it. The Warriors' broadcast team of Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike have drawn ire from off-hand remarks during Tuesday night's Golden State-Denver broadcast. The recently passed SECURE 2.0 Act is giving college savers more time to learn the benefits of compound interest. [22], He joined NBC Sports Bay Area in 2015, covering Warriors games as a studio analyst for the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows. Im very happy and grateful to still be employed, Barnett told The Chronicle. Undrafted out of Kentucky, Azubuike began his pro career with the Fort Worth Flyers in the D-League and was regarded as a quality defender and 3-point shooter before his knee troubles (the Fort Worth franchise has since relocated to Reno, Nev.). In his last season, he played with Cleveland Cavaliers for $1 Million.. After retiring from Basketball, Azubuike started working with . Now that they appear to be emerging from their recent, unsettling slump, they should be a squad reliably worthy of a nightly League Pass Alert. | March 25, 2022, 3:09 p.m. Udoka Azubuike underwent surgery on his injured right ankle and will miss the remainder of the regular season, the Utah Jazz announced Friday. Kelenna David Azubuike (born 16 December 1983)[1] is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player and currently the Golden State Warriors television analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area. Values are based on current season type (i.e. , Its always a tough thing, when someone has been doing such a great job for so long and then change happens. And still do now! 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. [5] I was wronged!, The incident came just a week after Rivers had a pair of fans removed from aNuggets-Thunder game in Oklahoma City,after he said they were talking about [his] family the whole night.. Some FAQs Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? newsletter, future vice president of basketball operations. He finished his high school career as the second all-time leading scorer in Oklahoma prep basketball history after amassing 3,530 career points. He cannot believe they called that on him. Carol FitzgeraldBob Fitzgerald / Spouse (m. 19902016). After Azubuike retired from professional basketball, he started his career as a TV analyst. Gambling problem? Im looking forward to it.. [4]In 2007-08, he averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes of action. [2] Playing for Victory Christian High School, Azubuike led his team to the state title as a sophomore. Hes done an outstanding job the last few seasons as a member of our pre, halftime and post-game shows, and his familiarity with our team, our players and our fans dating back to the We Believe days will serve him well in this new role. [1], 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. The website cannot function properly without these cookies. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. [17] On 28 June 2012, during the 2012 NBA Draft, Azubuike was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The fit is wrong. Let Barnett explain triple-threat positioning or what Bill Russells favorite sandwich was as Baron Davis waxes rhapsodical about Laura Dern or what it was like to shame the entire country of Russia when he posterized Andrei Kirilenko. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. As shambolic as the broadcasts have been these Barnett-less years, were now used to a somewhat unorthodox approach. Azubuikes yes-man persona is a jarring shift from the presence of Barnett, who did yeomans work smoothing down Fitzgeralds cloying edges. As part of his comeback, he was assigned to the Mavericks' D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends. Late in the second quarter, while Rivers was at the free throw line, Fitzgerald and Azubuike began discussing the 29-year-old guard and his familial ties within the league. [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. Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West. [22] On May 30, 2018, he announced his intent to withdraw from the draft and return to Kansas for his junior season. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Azubuike moved to the United States as a child. blancs50 4 yr. ago. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The same will apply to their telecasts and radio broadcasts. So, Im eternally grateful., Said Barnett: Im glad I was able to help him get into this profession. Watson has swine flu, "Knicks Acquire Randolph, Azubuike & Turiaf", "Kelenna Azubuike gets call to replace Lamar Odom", "Azubike plays in first NBA game in three seasons", "UK basketball notebook: Ex-Cats Azubuike, Mohammed take crash course in broadcasting", "NBA D-League Alum Kelenna Azubuike Heading To Broadcast Booth For D-League Showcase", "ESPNU to Televise 11 Regular-Season NBA D-League Games Starting in January", "Kelenna Azubuike to be Warriors TV game analyst; Jim Barnett to radio", "Former NBA Star Kelenna Azubuike Shares Details on New Faith Based Film 'Midrange' and Being a Christian Among Pro-Athletes (VIDEO INTERVIEW)", "WARRIORS: Kelenna Azubuike: On A Mission To Tanzania", Career Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kelenna_Azubuike&oldid=1135532503, This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 06:49. That remains to be seen. The Golden State Warriors signed him for four years worth $7 Million. He looked like a soccer player there." Warriors announcers Bob Fitzgerald (left) and Kelenna Azubuike Twitter We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Barnett was too appreciated by the Warriors public to ever truly belong to Lacob. The Cleveland Cavaliers are the only team to come back after being down 3-1 in the NBA Finals and win Game 7 (2016). A daily roundup of Golden State Warriors news from Golden State of Mind, By submitting your email, you agree to our, This date in Warriors history: Kelenna Azubuike debuts. How close we are to bringing lights back. Pilfer Mark Jones from the Kings. 22years (September 17, 1999)Udoka Azubuike / Age. Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? Im not a bean counter, Im a dreamer. 62. Lets bring Azubuikes fellow We Believe luminary to the booth, too. What can the Knicks do for an encore after the thrilling h MLB's rule changes will only bring needless new degree of confusion, Yankees may get solution to to glut of infielders after NL teams' misfortune, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. Azubuike, 35, has spent the last four seasons mostly as a studio analyst at NBC Sports Bay Area while also occasionally providing analysis on radio alongside Roye. [2] In 2012, he caught the attention of recruiters with Basketball Without Borders and was offered a scholarship to play basketball in the United States. Barnett spent 11 seasons as a guard in the NBA, including three with the Warriors, when he averaged 11.9 points per game. "He's an energetic, athletic guy that's a very good 3-point shooter. A lingering knee injury has forced former Cat Kelenna Azubuike into an early retirement from basketball. Barnett truly was (is) the best sort of broadcaster: a font of knowledge with a requisite respect for the past who, at the same time, is excited for both the here and now and the future. List of European basketball players in the United States, "Azubuike destined for greatness All the hoopla not just hype - this kid can play", "Ex-Cat Azubuike earning respect of NBA peers: KentuckySports.com", "SI.com NCAA Basketball UK's Morris remains in draft as deadline passes Tuesday June 21, 2005", "InsideHoops.com Kelenna Azubuike released by Houston Rockets", "WARRIORS: Warriors Sign Kelenna Azubuike to Contract", "Blow for Britain as London-born Kelenna Azubuike is denied passport Times Online", "Sources: Clips sign swingman Azubuike to three-year offer sheet NBA ESPN", "Warriors keep Azubuike, match Clippers' offer NBA ESPN", Warriors' Kelenna Azubuike out for the season, C.J. Seemed to work out alright., Azubuike asked, Are you saying there was some nepotism there? to which Fitzgerald said, Im just saying, if youre gonna give the money, might as well give it to your kid., Rivers continued to defend himself in his comment, writing, Do u know how many guys in league made more than me while not doing half as much?! With Mickael Pietrus likely on the way out . But when youre doing color commentary, youre reacting on the spot. No, that would be wrong. A lingering knee injury has forced former Cat Kelenna Azubuike into an early retirement from basketball. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association as a member of the leagues Western Conference, Northwest Division. I remember him being a stud, especially in 2K. [2] Azubuike was a four-year starter averaging 16.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game his senior year. One game later, he was a starter. [24] On December 4, 2018, he severely sprained his right ankle against Wofford and missed the following four games. Jan 22, 2021. Hes fairly knowledgeable about the game, reasonably prepared, generally knows how to pronounce last names and always seems to remember if someone is from one of the Congos. Usher in the broadcaster empowerment era. He is moving to the radio booth to team up with longtime radio voice Tim Roye on 95.7 FM The Game. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Kelenna Azubuike talks life after basketball. The most notable thing Azubuike did as a Knick was sell his No. They nearly replaced him after the 2013-14 season, when his contract expired. He played college basketball at the University of Kentucky from 2002 to 2005. . While his NBA career was cut short by a devastating freak injury less than three . I remember him being traded to NY from GS and am pretty sure he was dealing with injuries..was he forced to retire? In his first year, Kelenna took home $251,000.Then in the following years, he earned $2.9 Million and $3.3 Million.In the 2010/11 season, Kelenna signed with New York Knicks for $3.3 Million. Appreciating Klay Thompson filling in the superstar shoes. After the blockbuster trade that sent Dunleavy and Troy Murphy to Indiana, Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington soaked up many of Azubuikes minutes, and he played sparingly in the teams playoff run. The paths of KD and Kyrie: How one month changed three franchises and two superstar legacies, Morant to miss two games after video with gun, Curry, Iguodala probable to return vs. Lakers, Grizzlies' Clarke tore Achilles, out for season, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Sources: Dragic joining Bucks for rest of season, Nets filling out big-man depth with Noel signing. Ridiculous stuff. Whatever we lose from not having someone explain a shot did or didnt go in will be more than made up for. He was our smile because it happened franchise player. Azubuike also works as an analyst for the NBA on ESPN Radio. Utah JazzUdoka Azubuike / Current team (#20 / Center)The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. He holds both Nigerian and US citizenship; his application for British citizenship was turned down in December 2007 due to problems with the immigration status of his parents at the time of his birth. This is cause for celebration. If Barnett made the perpetually dungeon-bound Warriors bearable from the sidelines, it was Davis who restored pride to the franchise, gave them a jolt of renewed life when they needed it most, while briefly foreshadowing an era of dominance. The Warriors also will unveil a reshaped team, given the departures of Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompsons torn ACL. [2]He returned to the Flyers, where he averaged 26 points and 5 rebounds, while leading the D-League in scoring and ranking third in three-point field goal percentage.[3]. The Dallas Mavericks signed swingman Kelenna Azubuike to fill the roster spot vacated by Thursday's release of Sean Williams. The Warriors ought to be an electrifying affair for both casuals and die-hards. Kelenna completely tore is patellar tendon. [1] While attending the University of Kentucky, Azubuike majored in business marketing. As basically everyone who has ever been irritated with Fitzgerald on a nightly basis for years and years will grudgingly admit, hes a competent, even pretty good play-by-play guy. pic.twitter.com/17FXszxmEe, Just a few minutes later, Campazzo was arguing a foul call when Fitzgerald said on the broadcast, Campazzo likes to get scrappy and then look aggrieved all the time., Azubuike chimed in, adding, See, this is how you lose your credibility. Both also are scheduled to join Fitzgerald for the first telecast from Chase Center. Azubuike, 35, will partner with play-by-play broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald on TV. Im grateful that the Warriors are giving me a contract to do this. In 2012, he caught the attention of recruiters with Basketball Without Borders and was offered a scholarship to . He was waived by the Knicks on 28 February 2011. He was having a stellar offensive season in 2009-10 before he ruptured his patella tendon in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Lets not forget how he got here in the first place! Azubuike appeared to suffer a dislocated ankle in a G League contest on March 10, his third right ankle injury in the past 13 months. [4] Azubuike was the first Gatorade Call-Up of the 200607 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. Its a natural for me and its a nice transition. [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. Both Azubuike and Barnett will travel with the team for road games. Its time to pay the broadcasting luxury tax and pair Barnett, irreplaceable living legend, with Baron Davis, the bearded dynamo who taught long-suffering Warriors fans to respect themselves once again, or perhaps, for the first time. Oops. While his NBA career was cut short . This counts as a high-profile promotion for Azubuike, who has served as an analyst on Warriors Pregame and Postgame Live the past four years. Kelenna Azubuike is a professional basketball player currently working at NBC Sports Bay Area as the Golden State Warriors television analyst. Media column: Al Davis '30 for 30 review; Warriors' Kelenna Azubuike settles in. Had too much integrity. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers. Azubuike was the first call-up of the D-League season. For the 20172018 season, Kansas' coach Bill Self recruited Kansas football player James Sosinski to defend Azubuike during practice. [16] On 20 April 2012, Azubuike played in his first NBA game since 14 November 2009, against the Golden State Warriors. On January 17, while the Warriors' roster was depleted by an eight-player trade in progress, Azubuike played 48 minutes versus the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 28 points and collecting 7 rebounds. Heres who has offered big bucks so far. On May 17, he measured out to be a near 7' tall center (with shoes on) weighing in at 274 pounds and holding the second-longest wingspan at 7'7", behind only Mohamed Bamba. Azubuike takes the job at a fascinating point in Warriors history. Hes very capable and hes a class guy. Barnetts replacement, Azubuike, is a likeable guy (and Ive always admired his biceps) and also a competent in-studio analyst, but the synergy isnt there. Kelenna Azubuike looks like a completely different player than he did last summer. While Kelenna scored just four points in his debut, he was in the starting lineup the next night. Fifteen years ago today, Kelenna Azubuike made his Golden State Warriors debut in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. Just to be clear, were not trying to get anyone actually fired here, even in this hypothetical dream scenario. Or again, my preferred route, ignore this half-problem entirely. [29], On April 22, 2019, Azubuike announced he would return to Kansas for his senior season. You make that deal. Azubuike then played for the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League, leading the league in scoring during the 200607 season and eventually being called up to play for the Golden State Warriors. Theres a way to salvage the broadcast team: Jim Barnett, whom Id wager most Golden State fans roughly my age consider something of a father figure, needs to return to the TV side of things. He was too tall (this is very threatening to the extremely wealthy). The Bulls and the Warriors are the only teams to win at least 70 games in a single season. The second-year center suffered a right ankle sprain earlier this month while on assignment with the G League affiliate Salt Lake City Stars. On 17 November 2009, it was announced that Azubuike would miss the rest of the 200910 season after tearing his right patellar tendon in a game at the Milwaukee Bucks. In short, nobody loves this relatively new-ish duo. I think it will be a better season than a lot of people think, Azubuike said. A 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) center/forward from Seton Hall University, Fitzgerald played two seasons in the Basketball Association of America as a member of the Toronto Huskies, New York Knicks, and Rochester Royals. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). The Eastern champions have won 38 championships while the Western champions have won 32 championships. Theres nothing inherently wrong with being a homer! He had more dunks than any other college player going back to the 20092010 season. Before I extol the virtues of this particular pair, I must say a few (hundred) words about the play-by-play man I hope to exile. What can the Knicks do for an encore after the thrilling highs of 2021? He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks. On July 7, the Warriors re-signed him. On August 4, 2006, the Houston Rockets signed Azubuike to their training camp roster, but waived him on October 24 after only two preseason games. [16] His field goal percentage broke the single-season record for Kansas and the Big 12 Conference. The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Magic, Timberwolves players exchange punches during wild brawl, Ex-Knick calls out Ben Simmons practice tale, NBA guard fumes over ejection for phantom elbow. [1] Azubuike finished his prep career with 3,530 points, 89 points short of the all-time state scoring mark. He's also The Chronicle's golf columnist, covering the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and all major championships in Northern California. He excelled in his first season in the D-League, collecting All D-League honours while leading his team to the championship, which they lost to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. [19], In the summer of 2015, Azubuike attended the Sportscaster U. program at Syracuse University sponsored by the NBPA, training for a career in broadcasting. The good news is its not as though Barnett has renounced calling Warriors games and embraced the life of a curmudgeonly hermit. Heres where California reservoir levels stand after this weeks rains. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Barnett fully expected to move into an ambassadors role with the team at the time. and our [20] Since then, he has been assigned to announce 11 of the 19 NBA D-League games produced by NBA TV in 2016. Tuning into a Warriors game means subjecting yourself to two hype-men inelegantly bumbling into one another for 2.5 hours.
