Hed still be great, or at least pretty good in that role. Fifteen years ago. It seemed like he was going to progress into a solid player, and then poof a knee injury seems to end his career? But much like modern basketball, lets consider this a position-less broadcasting team. Theres no one more deserving.. Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. Azubuike called himself a basketball junkie who loves talking about the game. They all but outright. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Unfortunately for him, injury is the reason as he still cannot participate (at) what would be the NBA combine or workouts for the NBA teams. Its also something that one doesnt really have to make the case for. Will Bay Bridge go dark forever? I hope I can do this for many years to come.. I think its fantastic that I can continue working for the Warriors, Barnett said Friday. But one can easily imagine why Barnett may have intimidated or otherwise irritated Lacob, a new, hands-on owner looking to replace the cogs and pinions of a former era with his own commissars. He was having a stellar offensive season in 2009-10 before he ruptured his patella tendon in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. 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. Stephen Curry has not only led a Warriors resurgence since entering the league, he has changed the game with his long-distance shooting. 1 option. 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. Regular Season, Playoffs, All-Star) Jim sat in this seat for a long time, he said. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. "The hope is that he can possibly help us this year. 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. Although Azubuike hasn't played since early in the 2009-10 season because of a knee injury, Mavericks officials are intrigued by the progress Azubuike has made in his rehabilitation efforts, sources said. Lets not settle for just Barnett, though. 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. [1] While attending the University of Kentucky, Azubuike majored in business marketing. Azubuikes yes-man persona is a jarring shift from the presence of Barnett, who did yeomans work smoothing down Fitzgeralds cloying edges. Nellie loved Azubuikes shooting and athleticism, but mostly he hated Mike Dunleavy Jr. The most notable thing Azubuike did as a Knick was sell his No. 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. The season cant get here soon enough.. The Bulls and the Warriors are the only teams to win at least 70 games in a single season. 62. Im so pumped. Its fun.. Its really an honor, and Im super humbled the Warriors believe in me, Azubuike said in a phone interview. The defunct Central Division won one championship in 1950. Not exactly my problem. Kelenna David Azubuike (born December 16, 1983) is an English/American former professional basketball player. Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. Azubuike lost his father to an undiagnosed disease at the age of 10. Barnett, 75, has on numerous occasions worked with Roye on radio, usually in postseason games on national TV. 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. Golden State included him in the David Lee trade in 2010, but he didnt play a game for the New York Knicks. [33], At the conclusion of the regular season, Azubuike was named the Big 12 Player of the Year[34] and NABC Defensive Player of the Year. Azubuike Emanuel Egwuekwe (born 16 July 1989) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Rivers United as a centre back. 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. Azubuikes effectiveness as a pick-and-roll finisher may be as strong as any other Jazzmans. 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. Klay Thompson scores 27 as Warriors keep rolling in 108-99 win over Pelicans. [8] He was also eligible to play for the Nigeria national team. He shot nearly 50% from three-point range, something that Don Nelson really liked. Approx. The former Mansfield (Texas) High School standout played in 24 games on multiple assignments to the Mavericks' D-League affiliate in Frisco, averaging 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for the Del Harris-coached Texas Legends. Barnett, 75, has been with the Warriors since 1984. 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. Were excited he will continue to be a member of our family and broadcast team on the radio side, where he will provide his valuable insight and perspective., Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Lets not forget how he got here in the first place! Whatever we lose from not having someone explain a shot did or didnt go in will be more than made up for. I remember him being traded to NY from GS and am pretty sure he was dealing with injuries..was he forced to retire? Hes found a workaround from being phased out, still plies his wisdom and his trademark avuncular wit on the radio side of things. On July 7, the Warriors re-signed him. In his freshman season he started in six of the 11 games he played in before tearing ligaments in his left wrist, which ended his season. Kelenna tells the story of Melo buying his jersey off him on the Knicks pic.twitter.com/mVUEl6LATm. Azubuike has also worked as an analyst for the NBA on ESPN Radio since 2022. Values are based on current season type (i.e. He's also The Chronicle's golf columnist, covering the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and all major championships in Northern California. [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. 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. Go full super-team. 7 jersey to Carmelo Anthony. Im looking forward to it. Heres where California reservoir levels stand after this weeks rains. Azubuike also works as an analyst for the NBA on ESPN Radio. 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. Lets move on with dignity. Barnett will transition to radio, the team said as part of Fridays announcement. Read More, In case of sale of your personal information, you may opt out by using the link Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Kelenna Azubuike (@KelennA7) . Kelenna Azubuike is a professional basketball player currently working at NBC Sports Bay Area as the Golden State Warriors television analyst. And, no, Jim Barnett is not retiring. Simply put, hes a strange man. The Warriors ought to be an electrifying affair for both casuals and die-hards. [14], On 23 March 2012, Azubuike was signed by the Dallas Mavericks. [18] He was awarded All-Big 12 third team by the conference's coaches[19] and second team by the AP. [22], He joined NBC Sports Bay Area in 2015, covering Warriors games as a studio analyst for the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows. Since 2015, Kelenna has been a part of the station's sports team. I hoped I might work in radio after leaving TV. "He's an energetic, athletic guy that's a very good 3-point shooter. But because my last name, its an easy diss and cop out. Fitz and Buike will merely be repurposed to roles that better suit them. 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 has been involved with many humanitarian causes during his time in the NBA. Dok All-Time NCAA Leader in Field-Goal Percentage; KU Athletics; 3 February 2020. (He's) the kind of athlete that we're trying to find for our team.". 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. [27] He underwent season-ending surgery on January 9, 2019. [38] On November 24, 2020, the Utah Jazz announced that they had signed Azubuike. Or again, my preferred route, ignore this half-problem entirely. The Golden State Warriors signed him for four years worth $7 Million. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks. 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. 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?! 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. [3] On January 28, 2016, he announced his choice to play college basketball at the University of Kansas.[11]. But when youve fought your way into the league as an undrafted D-Leaguer and rehabilitated a bad knee for years, dealing with Bob Fitzgerald on a nightly basis is no big deal. Kelenna Azubuike, a member of the We Believe Warriors of 2006-07, is joining the squad as an analyst working alongside longtime NBC Sports Bay Area play-by-man voice Bob Fitzgerald. [15] He averaged 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and led the nation with a 77% field goal percentage for the season. Azubuike played three years for the Kentucky Wildcats, averaging 15 points per game in his junior season. On July 17, 2008, Azubuike signed an offer sheet with the Clippers of a three-year, $9 million contract , with Golden State having seven days to match it. 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). Currently, his net worth is 9 million dollars. [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. Fitzgeralds homerism isnt the genuine, charming if sort of silly homerism of a drunk but passionate fan. Its more about what sort of homer you are. On January 2, 2007, the Golden State Warriors signed Azubuike to shore up their injury-plagued backcourt. Andre Iguodala might be free next season if he hasnt achieved his final form as an NFT. Just to be clear, were not trying to get anyone actually fired here, even in this hypothetical dream scenario. Austin Rivers is not happy with comments that the Golden State Warriors' broadcasting team made on Tuesday night. Theres a better way to live. A lingering knee injury has forced former Cat Kelenna Azubuike into an early retirement from basketball. Rivers, the son of veteran coach Doc Rivers . Tim is a really good guy, and does a great job. 22years (September 17, 1999)Udoka Azubuike / Age. 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. Its important to note that while Azubuike is moving into the seat Barnett occupied for 34 years, he owes a debt of gratitude to Barnett, who entered broadcasting nine years after his retirement in 1977. At the end of the second quarter, broadcasters Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike specifically poked fun at the Nuggets players and seemed to suggest Rivers was overpaid while being coached by his father with the Clippers from 2015-18.