Lex 18 caught up with Kelenna this weekend to see how is handling life after . They nearly replaced him after the 2013-14 season, when his contract expired. 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. 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. Its really an honor, and Im super humbled the Warriors believe in me, Azubuike said in a phone interview. 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. Media column: Al Davis '30 for 30 review; Warriors' Kelenna Azubuike settles in. Barnett was too appreciated by the Warriors public to ever truly belong to Lacob. The Bulls and the Warriors are the only teams to win at least 70 games in a single season. [3], 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. Fridays news ended lingering uncertainty about Barnetts future with the Warriors. Warriors replace Jim Barnett with Kelenna Azubuike as TV color analyst, How much are the Warriors worth? Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? 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?! 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. [4]In 2007-08, he averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes of action. Azubuike attended Victory Christian School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was recruited by then-University of Kentucky coach Tubby Smith. , Its always a tough thing, when someone has been doing such a great job for so long and then change happens. [25] On January 5, 2019, Azubuike injured his wrist during practice. Golden State Warriors broadcasters Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike have been criticized for making fun of Denver Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo The pair were calling the game on NBC. [18] He was awarded All-Big 12 third team by the conference's coaches[19] and second team by the AP. The surgery was performed in Indianapolis by foot and ankle specialist Dr. David Porter in consultation with Jazz team physician Dr. Travis Maak. 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. Will Bay Bridge go dark forever? I think its fantastic that I can continue working for the Warriors, Barnett said Friday. Privacy Policy. Fifteen years ago today, Kelenna Azubuike made his Golden State Warriors debut in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. Others are cautiously optimistic that by 2029 or so, Fitzgerald and Azubuike will really start to gel and find their rhythm. Details on the contract were not disclosed. In 2021, Kroichick earned an Associated Press Sports Editors Top 10 award for his feature on Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee conquering cancer. Barnett was willing to criticize when the situation called for it, and Azubuike expects to do the same. 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. All I know how to do is be myself.. Kroichick writes features on the Warriors during the NBA season, and various other topics - ranging from the 49ers/NFL and major-league baseball to college football and basketball - the rest of the year. Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? 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. [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. Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. [24], Azubuike has been involved with many humanitarian causes during his time in the NBA. [5] Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about small forward Kelenna Azubuike on ESPN. 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. 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. He instigated it. Azubuike covered Warrior's games after he joined NBC Sports Bay Area in 2015. If chaos is in the cards, trade up for the fun kind. Andre Iguodala might be free next season if he hasnt achieved his final form as an NFT. [20], On April 20, 2018, Azubuike announced his intention to enter the 2018 NBA draft. "The hope is that he can possibly help us this year. He ferociously toes the company line, to an off-putting extent. Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies. In short, nobody loves this relatively new-ish duo. What ever happened to Kelenna Azubuike? Im not really concerned about the difficulty of following Jim. blancs50 4 yr. ago. [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. Whenever one hears about ESPN dropping a new "30 for 30" documentary . Azubuike (ankle) is out Friday against the Hornets. That remains to be seen. His presence will add a new dimension to our TV broadcasts, and we are thrilled with the addition.. Values are based on current season type (i.e. Rivers was at the free-throw line when Fitzgerald and Azubuike, who played five seasons in the NBA with the Warriors and Mavericks, struck up the conversation about his time in LA under his father, who is now head coach of the Sixers. I dream light years. Cookie Notice Jim was actually one of the first people I talked to when I was thinking about getting into broadcasting, said Azubuike, who retired in 2012. His presence will add a new dimension to our TV broadcasts and we are thrilled with the addition., Barnett said of Azubuike, I really mean this: Im so happy its Kelenna and not someone else. [9][10] Azubuike received offers from many universities including Duke, Texas, Kentucky, and shortened his final list of colleges to Florida State, Kansas, and North Carolina. Fifteen years ago today, Kelenna Azubuike made his Golden State Warriors debut in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. 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. The Denver Nuggets are the only NBA team to come back from a 3-1 series deficit multiple times in the same year (2020). Warriors vs. Pelicans injury report: So many absences for both teams. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Azubuike moved to the United States as a child. 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. Fitz and Buike will merely be repurposed to roles that better suit them. By Steve Berman. 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. The shimmering Bay Lights turn off Sunday night as the effort to raise $11 million to fund a bigger, better version is only partway there. I remember him being a stud, especially in 2K. Azubuikes yes-man persona is a jarring shift from the presence of Barnett, who did yeomans work smoothing down Fitzgeralds cloying edges. While his NBA career was cut short by a devastating freak injury less than three . Kelenna Azubuike talks life after basketball. In his last season, he played with Cleveland Cavaliers for $1 Million.. After retiring from Basketball, Azubuike started working with . Fifteen years ago. [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. Azubuike will receive a deal for the rest of this season and a team option for next season, sources said. He got up under Andre [Iguodala]., Fitzgerald asked, Well, whats the main sport in Argentina?, Azubuike answered, Soccer, thats what I was thinking. 270lbsUdoka Azubuike / Weight After finishing his junior season in college, Azubuike declared himself eligible for the 2005 NBA Draft, eventually going undrafted that year. Stephen Curry has not only led a Warriors resurgence since entering the league, he has changed the game with his long-distance shooting. Dok All-Time NCAA Leader in Field-Goal Percentage; KU Athletics; 3 February 2020. [20] Since then, he has been assigned to announce 11 of the 19 NBA D-League games produced by NBA TV in 2016. And now Im going to work radio. He will start his comeback with the Frisco-based Texas Legends, Dallas' D-League affiliate. Barnett spent 11 seasons as a guard in the NBA, including three with the Warriors, when he averaged 11.9 points per game. He got a big contract extension when, oh wait, his dad was the coach, said Fitzgerald. You make that deal. [28], Kansas won all nine games Azubuike played including against top ten teams Tennessee and Michigan State. You know, he might just be the perfect guy to take on the team ambassador role, whatever that means. 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. How close we are to bringing lights back. The season cant get here soon enough.. The Dallas Mavericks signed swingman Kelenna Azubuike to fill the roster spot vacated by Thursday's release of Sean Williams. 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. That whole dance was an awkward misfire on the part of the Light Years Brain Trust, and even a few years later, leaves a not entirely un-sour taste in Dub Nations collective mouth. It is kind of whole new thing when compared with the studio. Absolute legend. [18] He was waived by the Cavaliers on 14 October 2012. Lets bring Azubuikes fellow We Believe luminary to the booth, too. Im ecstatic. [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. He played four seasons with Golden State, starting with the 2006-07 We Believe team that beat top-seeded Dallas in the first round of the playoffs. His comments on myself and Facu were beyond disrespectful. The Golden State Warriors signed him for four years worth $7 Million. Barnett was too humble. While Kelenna scored just four points in his debut, he was in the starting lineup the next night. 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. Now, why would Baron ever, in a million Earth years, actually do this? Rivers, a former Knick, fired back in an Instagram comment after the game. [5] [1] While attending the University of Kentucky, Azubuike majored in business marketing. And still do now! Im not trying to be Jim Barnett hes one of a kind, and nobody can do that. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. Williams played in only eight games with the Mavericks after leaving his team in Israel to sign with his hometown team on Dec. 21, averaging 3.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 8.1 minutes. [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. We think Kelenna is one of the bright, young stars in the broadcasting business, Warriors President Rick Welts said in a statement. He finished his high school career as the second all-time leading scorer in Oklahoma prep basketball history after amassing 3,530 career points. Weird vibes. @ plays for the team . Appreciating Klay Thompson filling in the superstar shoes. 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. 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. Hes charismatic, knowledgeable, quite funny, and with his business acumen and growing portfolio of investments, seems like the sort of guy who might actually enjoy being adjacent to Silicon Valley and all that associated nonsense. Go full super-team. Check out the article here via InvestmentNews [4]Azubuike was selected to play in the 2016 McDonald's All-American Boys Game,[5] Jordan Brand Classic,[6] and Nike Hoop Summit. He cannot believe they called that on him. Weight 270 lbs. What can the Knicks do for an encore after the thrilling highs of 2021? [2] Azubuike lost his father to an undiagnosed disease at the age of 10. Barnett elevates yapping about a basketball game into something dignified and illuminating, something affirming. He's also The Chronicle's golf columnist, covering the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and all major championships in Northern California. Fifteen years ago today, Kelenna Azubuike made his Golden State Warriors debut in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. [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. 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. He was having a stellar offensive season in 2009-10 before he ruptured his patella tendon in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. ), there are zero hard feelings. Clumsy jokes. Jan 22, 2021. He did not initially hire an agent, which would allow him to return before the combine. Endure it, and think what could have been, had the Warriors not put the universally beloved Jim Barnett out to pasture. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. [39] Azubuike was assigned to the Jazz's NBA G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, for the start of the 2021 G League season, making his G League debut on February 10, 2021. N.Y Knicks player Kelenna Azubuike attends the launch of the new Trident Vitality gum at the Gansevoort Park Avenue on December 8, 2010 in New York City. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks. He was too tall (this is very threatening to the extremely wealthy). After that, Fitzgerald and Azubuike laughed while they mocked the accent of the Argentinian Campazzo. [2], Azubuike attended Potter's House Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. For more information, please see our Im looking forward to it. Azubuike was selected with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. Azubuike has also worked as an analyst for the NBA on ESPN Radio since 2022. The Cleveland Cavaliers are the only team to come back after being down 3-1 in the NBA Finals and win Game 7 (2016). Utah JazzUdoka Azubuike / Current team (#20 / Center)The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. 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. 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. Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages. Hell miss the rest of the 2021/22 season. But when youre doing color commentary, youre reacting on the spot. This pairing does create one potential problem, though hardly an insurmountable one: instead of two hype-men, we may now be subject to a sensory overload of excellent anecdotes and play deconstructions, but no one to describe the action (which again, we can see with our eyes). Its Baron Davis. Im very grateful for everything Ive had over the years. 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. Something went wrong. Tim is a really good guy, and does a great job. Barnett will return for his 35th season providing opinion and insights, but his medium will change. Please enter a valid email and try again. [1], Considered a four-star recruit by Scout.com, Azubuike was listed as the No. Email: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick. The fit is wrong. [24] On December 4, 2018, he severely sprained his right ankle against Wofford and missed the following four games. 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. I hope I can do this for many years to come.. 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. [13] Azubuike never played in a game for the Knicks. [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. 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. Once they do that, then anything can happen.. Im grateful that the Warriors are giving me a contract to do this. or is he playing somewhere else? Im so pumped. But much like modern basketball, lets consider this a position-less broadcasting team. Azubuike was the first call-up of the D-League season. Azubuike said Barnett helped connect him to NBC Sports Bay Area and played a huge role in launching Azubuikes second career. Trivia. Sign up for the Simply put, hes a strange man. Hes too noble for this kind of skullduggery. Hes going to be good. Lets not forget how he got here in the first place! The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association as a member of the leagues Western Conference, Northwest Division. [1] He is a Christian music fan and enjoys creating his own music. He is moving to the radio booth to team up with longtime radio voice Tim Roye on 95.7 FM The Game. The injury, plus a botched surgery that left his kneecap up against his quadriceps, ultimately ended his NBA career. 3 William Street Tranmere SA 5073; 45 Gray Street Tranmere SA 5073; 36 Hectorville Road, Hectorville, SA 5073; 1 & 2/3 RODNEY AVENUE, TRANMERE Of course, it must be said that Barnett would not approve of this column. 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. The good news is its not as though Barnett has renounced calling Warriors games and embraced the life of a curmudgeonly hermit. Azubuike Emanuel Egwuekwe (born 16 July 1989) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Rivers United as a centre back. and our And he threw down a lot of spectacular dunks. After a stint at Syracuses Sportscaster U and a recommendation from Warriors broadcaster Jim Barnett, Azubuike became the color commentator we all know and love. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Azubuike was the youngest of 3, with two older brothers and two older sisters. He was our smile because it happened franchise player. Or again, my preferred route, ignore this half-problem entirely. 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. So lets reunite these disparate loose ends immediately and put a resounding end to the League Pass nightmare that is the Golden State Warriors broadcast stream. He currently handles San Francisco 49ers preseason broadcasts and served as the play-by-play voice for the Arena Football Leagues San Jose SaberCats, an organization which is now defunct. Aug 05, 2007, 03:48 pm. [15]