Big 12 Men's Basketball Player of the Year winners, "Kansas star will get amazing Final Four moment: Seeing Mom", "Think Reaching the Final 4 Is Tough? 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-Warriors coach Don Nelson when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Usher in the broadcaster empowerment era. 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. Gambling problem? Azubuike entered the 2005 NBA Draft after his junior year. His then assistant coach Harry Coxsome and his wife Donna took care of him and soon became his legal guardians. Some FAQs Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? Fifteen years ago today, Kelenna Azubuike made his Golden State Warriors debut in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. Kelenna and Rona exchanged their vows in a traditional Christian wedding ceremony. When the Golden State Warriors are rolling, they're one of the leagues biggest draws. [7] He was also a member of the National Honor Society. 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. It ended badly, A $200M bike bridge tantalized this Bay Area city. [3] On January 28, 2016, he announced his choice to play college basketball at the University of Kansas.[11]. Its also something that one doesnt really have to make the case for. Barnett spent 11 seasons as a guard in the NBA, including three with the Warriors, when he averaged 11.9 points per game. He was not drafted, but played some preseason games for the Cleveland Cavaliers; he was waived at the end of the preseason and acquired by the Fort Worth Flyers. It may never get built, California snowpack hits highest level this century for March, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). The teams future vice president of basketball operations was sent to the bench, while Nelson openly talked about how much happier he and Junior would be if he went and played for his dads Clippers. Aug 05, 2007, 03:48 pm. On January 2, 2007, the Golden State Warriors signed Azubuike to shore up their injury-plagued backcourt. He shot nearly 50% from three-point range, something that Don Nelson really liked. He instigated it. Warriors vs. Pelicans injury report: So many absences for both teams. I consent to the use of following cookies: Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. 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. Davis, despite his relatively short stint in the Bay Area, is very much beloved. As shambolic as the broadcasts have been these Barnett-less years, were now used to a somewhat unorthodox approach. He was having a stellar offensive season in 2009-10 before he ruptured his patella tendon in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. 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]. [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. Kelenna Azubuike talks life after basketball. Both Azubuike and Barnett will travel with the team for road games. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. [30] According to KU coach Bill Self, Were all very excited about Udoka making the decision not to enter the [NBA] draft. Former Golden State Warriors Kelenna Azubuike is introduced during Warriors' NBA game against Sacramento Kings at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, February 21, 2019. 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). [11], 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. 34 player in the nation in 2002. High School Potters House Christian Academy [Fla.]. While his NBA career was cut short . Wikipedia. [16] On 20 April 2012, Azubuike played in his first NBA game since 14 November 2009, against the Golden State Warriors. [21] Various of these games have been broadcast by ESPNU. While his NBA career was cut short by a devastating freak injury less than three years later, a broadcasting career was born that night. Kelenna Azubuike is a professional basketball player currently working at NBC Sports Bay Area as the Golden State Warriors television analyst. He bridges eras and generations with absolute clarity. [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. Ive had a great run of 34 years on TV, Barnett said. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 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. The Dubs have won five straight and Stephs return is on the horizon! Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. [23], Azubuike has three siblings: Nonzo, Nesochi and Adaeze. Barnett will transition to radio, the team said as part of Fridays announcement. Azubuike covered Warrior's games after he joined NBC Sports Bay Area in 2015. Pairing Barnett and Davis would automatically catapult the Warriors broadcasting team to must-listen TV, leapfrogging mere respectability on their journey back from the dregs. Youll be surprised by the new Forbes rankings, Stephen Curry produces high-end movie, lowbrow TV, How Curry's 3-point shooting changed the game. Azubuike answered, "Soccer, that's what I was thinking. Hes too good to only be calling away games on the radio. Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies. Barnetts continued involvement is sure to be embraced by fans, who have grown accustomed to his knowledgeable point of view and ability to articulate the nuances within the game. He finished the season averaging 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. Fridays news ended lingering uncertainty about Barnetts future with the Warriors. Azubuike played 81 games in 2007-8 for the Dubs, averaging 8.5 points. Now, why would Baron ever, in a million Earth years, actually do this? Azubuike said in a fake accent, as he and his partner chuckled. The same will apply to their telecasts and radio broadcasts. 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. [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. Lets not forget how he got here in the first place! 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). Think this kinda funny especially since its coming from a guy who has never played a game of basketball in his life, Rivers wrote of Fitzgerald under an Instagram video highlighting the announcers remarks. Azubuike Emanuel Egwuekwe (born 16 July 1989) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Rivers United as a centre back. And he threw down a lot of spectacular dunks. Azubuikes effectiveness as a pick-and-roll finisher may be as strong as any other Jazzmans. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association as a member of the leagues Western Conference, Northwest Division. The surgery was performed in Indianapolis by foot and ankle specialist Dr. David Porter in consultation with Jazz team physician Dr. Travis Maak. Ridiculous stuff. But much like modern basketball, lets consider this a position-less broadcasting team. Barnett will return for his 35th season providing opinion and insights, but his medium will change. 7 off his back . Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Azubuike was the youngest of 3, with two older brothers and two older sisters. After that, Fitzgerald and Azubuike laughed while they mocked the accent of the Argentinian Campazzo. He retired after playing the 2011-12. 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. [18] He was awarded All-Big 12 third team by the conference's coaches[19] and second team by the AP. Its altogether too simple to decry him as a homer. Endure it, and think what could have been, had the Warriors not put the universally beloved Jim Barnett out to pasture. [16] His field goal percentage broke the single-season record for Kansas and the Big 12 Conference. He ferociously toes the company line, to an off-putting extent. Absolute legend. The Denver Nuggets are the only NBA team to come back from a 3-1 series deficit multiple times in the same year (2020). Nuggets guard Austin Rivers isnt happy with a pair of Warriors TV announcers for voicing copout and disrespectful comments about him and his teammate, Facundo Campazzo, during Denvers 89-86 win at Golden State on Tuesday. While being a two-way player yet he called me overpaid?, Seems the Warriors announcers arent too fond of Austin Rivers pic.twitter.com/KL2yIIYfs0. 62. 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. Then You Haven't Met Kansas' Udoka Azubuike", Potters House hoops star Udoka Azubuike commits to Kansas, "Five-star UK target Azubuike a menace to rims", Josh Jackson and Udoka Azubuike impress at McDonald's All-American Game, Udoka Azubuike honored at first stop of the Jordan Brand Classic Senior Night Tour, Kansas commit Udoka Azubuike added to World Select Team at Nike Hoop Summit, Five-star basketball recruit Udoka Azubuike picks Kansas, Four-star center Udoka Azubuike commits to Kansas, KU freshman Udoka Azubuike out for the season with wrist injury, "Udoka Azubuike out for Big 12 Tournament, KU hopeful he can return for NCAAs", "Nigeria approves Udoka Azubuike's mother's visa to travel to USA", "A former KU center analyzes the game of Jayhawks big man Udoka Azubuike", "This decade, no player has done what KU's Udoka Azubuike just did", "Devont Graham, Bill Self take home coaches' All-Big 12 basketball awards", "Devont Graham, Bill Self win AP All-Big 12 awards", "Kansas' Udoka Azubuike entering draft without agent", "Udoka Azubuike withdraws from NBA Draft. 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. The Warriors ought to be an electrifying affair for both casuals and die-hards. Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. Im so pumped. I think it will be a better season than a lot of people think, Azubuike said. A few (masochists) tolerate the pair, because yes, it does take a certain amount of toil for some people to get worked up about an NBA teams local broadcasting duo. "[31], Azubuike scored a career-high 29 points in a 9084 overtime win over Dayton on November 27, 2019. You know, he might just be the perfect guy to take on the team ambassador role, whatever that means. In the 200506 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. Trivia. [20], On April 20, 2018, Azubuike announced his intention to enter the 2018 NBA draft. | 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. But most of us endure it. It seemed like he was going to progress into a solid player, and then poof a knee injury seems to end his career? Im ecstatic. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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. He was later included in Golden State's sign-and-trade acquisition of David Lee from the New York Knicks in the summer of 2010, but Azubuike never played a game with the Knicks and was released Feb. 28, 2011. Baron Davis joining Barnett as his commiserating-mate is an obvious choice on multiple levels. [22] On May 30, 2018, he announced his intent to withdraw from the draft and return to Kansas for his junior season. [1], Considered a four-star recruit by Scout.com, Azubuike was listed as the No. The second-year center suffered a right ankle sprain earlier this month while on assignment with the G League affiliate Salt Lake City Stars. 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. His former partner, Fitzgerald, long a burr in the collective saddles of a vocal segment of Warriors fandom, is by contrast mostly a goofy propagandist. [13] Azubuike never played in a game for the Knicks. Barnett was too humble. Warriors TV announcers Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike targeted the Denver . AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Regular Season, Playoffs, All-Star) 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. This site uses different types of cookies. Barnett, 75, has on numerous occasions worked with Roye on radio, usually in postseason games on national TV. And still do now! 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. The Cleveland Cavaliers are the only team to come back after being down 3-1 in the NBA Finals and win Game 7 (2016). Kelenna completely tore is patellar tendon. After the Warriors matched a multi-year contract offer from the Clippers in the summer of 2008 - perhaps out of anger about the Baron Davis signing - Azubuike started nearly the entire 2008-9 season, averaging 14.4 points per game and making 44.8% of his three-pointers. [8] He was also eligible to play for the Nigeria national team. [35] Azubuike averaged 13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game as a senior. If not for him, who knows where Id be. He did not initially hire an agent, which would allow him to return before the combine. [21] Azubuike was one of a record-high 69 prospects invited to the NBA Draft Combine that year. [28], Kansas won all nine games Azubuike played including against top ten teams Tennessee and Michigan State. I remember him being traded to NY from GS and am pretty sure he was dealing with injuries..was he forced to retire? Golden State, fresh off five consecutive NBA Finals appearances and three championships, will move across the bay next season to the new Chase Center in San Francisco. [1] His father, Fabian, was a police officer, and his mother, Florence, was a middle school teacher. Why the Warriors should replace Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike with Jim Barnett and Baron Davis. In Azubuikes 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). Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Simply put, hes a strange man. Clumsy jokes. A lingering knee injury has forced former Cat Kelenna Azubuike into an early retirement from basketball. You make that deal. On March 25, 2022, Azubuike underwent right foot surgery and was ruled out for the rest of the 202122 season.[40]. His father, Fabian, was a police officer, and his mother, Florence, was a middle school teacher. Yes, that's a toucan flying around Walnut Creek, Map shows which parts of California exceeded entire years worth of rain, Hit bean company Rancho Gordo embroiled in discrimination lawsuit, San Francisco citizens once traveled by gondola. Azubuike averaged 10.5 points during his career. Remove the outlier, and he averaged 9.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 22.8 minutes per game in the previous 5 contests. Weird vibes. Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. Former National Basketball Association players, "Blow for Britain as London-born Kelenna Azubuike is denied passport", http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/us_sport/article3111497.ece, http://www.insidehoops.com/azubuike-waived-102406.shtml, "Warriors Sign Kelenna Azubuike to Contract", http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/Kelenna_Azubuike_Signing_Release.html, Warriors Re-Sign Kelenna Azubuike To Contract, Sources: Clips, swingman Azubuike agree to multiyear offer sheet, Sources: Warriors keep Azubuike, match Clippers' offer. A lingering knee injury has forced former Cat Kelenna Azubuike into an early retirement from basketball. [24], Azubuike has been involved with many humanitarian causes during his time in the NBA. He will start his comeback with the Frisco-based Texas Legends, Dallas' D-League affiliate. After Azubuike retired from professional basketball, he started his career as a TV analyst. Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? And, no, Jim Barnett is not retiring. Azubuike (ankle) has been ruled out for Fridays game against the Clippers, Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
