Kelenna David Azubuike (born 16 December 1983) is a British-Nigerian-American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player and currently the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

television analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area. Born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England and raised in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, Azubuike became a standout player during his play at Victory Christian High School, and was eventually recruited to play for the

Wildcats The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...

of the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

. After finishing his junior season in college, Azubuike declared himself eligible for the

2005 NBA Draft The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players f ...

, eventually going undrafted that year. Azubuike then played for the

Fort Worth Flyers The Fort Worth Flyers were a minor league basketball team in the NBA Development League (D-League) based in Fort Worth, Texas. They began play in the 2005–06 season and were shut down for the 2007–08 season. Franchise history In 2005, Sout ...

of the NBA Development League, leading the league in scoring during the 2006–07 season and eventually being called up to play for the

Early years

Azubuike was born in

, England, to Nigerian parents Kenneth and Chi Azubuike. His parents were doctors and had moved to London for work. Azubuike relocated with his family to

, in 1989 when his father was offered a fellowship at Saint Francis Hospital. Playing for Victory Christian High School, Azubuike led his team to the state title as a sophomore. 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. 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. Azubuike finished his prep career with 3,530 points, 89 points short of the all-time state scoring mark. Considered a four-star recruit by

Scout.com Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...

, Azubuike was listed as the No. 8 small forward and the No. 34 player in the nation in 2002.

College

Playing under coach

Tubby Smith Orlando Henry "Tubby" Smith (born June 30, 1951) is an American college basketball coach. He was the men's basketball coach at High Point University, his alma mater. Smith previously served in the same role at the University of Tulsa, the Univers ...

, Azubuike said that the biggest improvement to his game at Kentucky was the ability to create offense through intense defense. As a junior, Azubuike was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the

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and the league's coaches after leading the team and ranking tenth in the SEC in points per game, averaging 14.7 overall. Azubuike was named to the 2005 SEC All-Tournament Team after averaging 18.0 points in three contests. 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 In the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship, the "Elite Eight" comprises the final eight teams, representing the regional finals, or national quarterfinals. In Division I and Divis ...

appearances. 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. While attending the

, Azubuike majored in

business marketing Business marketing is a marketing practice of individuals or organizations (including commercial businesses, governments and institutions). It allows them to sell products or services to other companies or organizations that resell them, use the ...

NBA career

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. In the 2005–06 season, Azubuike averaged 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in forty-one games with the

of the NBA's Developmental League. Azubuike played with the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

in the 2006 Toshiba Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 16.4 points and finished tied at tenth in the league in scoring. In August 2006, Azubuike was signed by the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

as a free agent, but eventually waived by October. 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. After going undrafted, Azubuike was signed by the

on 2 January 2007. Azubuike was the first

Gatorade Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...

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. During his second season with Golden State, Azubuike expressed an interest in playing for the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

team during the build-up to the

2012 London Olympic Games The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, but was denied British citizenship under the 1981 British Nationality Act. On 17 July 2008, Azubuike signed an offer sheet with the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

for a three-year deal worth $9 million, with Golden State having seven days to match the offer. In the final hour, Golden State matched the offer made by the Clippers on 24 July 2008, allowing Azubuike to remain a Warrior. 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 The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

. On 9 July 2010, Azubuike was traded to the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

along with

Anthony Randolph Anthony Erwin Randolph Jr. (born July 15, 1989) is an American-Slovenian professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Slovenian national basketball team, winning the 2017 ...

Ronny Turiaf Ronny Turiaf ( , ; born 13 January 1983) is a French former professional basketball player who played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Turiaf grew up in France and played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the U ...

and a future second-round pick in a

sign and trade In the National Basketball Association (NBA), a sign-and-trade deal is a type of transaction allowed by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) where one franchise/team signs an unrestricted free agent or restricted free agent player to a new co ...

deal for David Lee. Azubuike never played in a game for the Knicks. He was waived by the Knicks on 28 February 2011. On 23 March 2012, Azubuike was signed by the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

. As part of his comeback, he was assigned to the Mavericks'

D-League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...

affiliate, the

Texas Legends The Texas Legends are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Frisco, Texas, and are affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks. The Legends play their home games at the Comerica Center. The team began as the Colorado ...

. On 9 April 2012, he was recalled by the Mavericks. On 20 April 2012, Azubuike played in his first NBA game since 14 November 2009, against the Golden State Warriors. On 28 June 2012, during the

2012 NBA Draft The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Asso ...

, Azubuike was traded to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. He was waived by the Cavaliers on 14 October 2012.

Broadcasting career

In the summer of 2015, Azubuike attended the

Sportscaster U. Sportscaster U. is a broadcasting training camp held by National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) in association with the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. The main goal of the camp is to help transition former o ...

program at

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

sponsored by the NBPA, training for a career in broadcasting. Since then, he has been assigned to announce 11 of the 19 NBA D-League games produced by NBA TV in 2016. Various of these games have been broadcast by ESPNU. 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 Robert James Fitzgerald (born 1966) is an American sports broadcaster who is currently the TV play-by-play announcer for the NBA's Golden State Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area and was a co-host of the radio talk show ''Fitz and Brooks'' on KNB ...

, 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.

Personal life

Azubuike has three siblings: Nonzo, Nesochi and Adaeze. He is a Christian music fan and enjoys creating his own music. During the 2006–07 season, Azubuike made an appearance on

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...

hip hop station

KMEL KMEL (106.1 FM) is an urban contemporary radio station that is licensed to San Francisco, California, and serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned and operated by iHeartMedia. KMEL has studios located in the SoMa district, and broadcasts ...

and conducted an interview while the station played music which he personally produced. Azubuike is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

. Azubuike has been involved with many humanitarian causes during his time in the NBA. Azubuike accepted a personal invitation from

Jakaya Kikwete Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (born 7 October 1950) is a Tanzanian politician who was the fourth president of Tanzania, in office from 2005 to 2015. Prior to his election as president, he was the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 2005 under his ...

, the President of

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

, to take part in Leon H. Sullivan Summit VIII, a five-day convention held from 2 to 6 June 2008 in

Arusha Arusha City is a Tanzanian city and the regional capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District Council (2012 census). Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern bran ...

, 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. 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

Regular season

, - , align="left", , align="left", Golden State , 41, , 9, , 16.3, , .445, , .430, , .782, , 2.3, , .7, , .5, , .2, , 7.1 , - , align="left", , align="left", Golden State , 81, , 17, , 21.4, , .445, , .364, , .717, , 4.0, , .9, , .6, , .4, , 8.5 , - , align="left", , align="left", Golden State , 74, , 51, , 32.1, , .464 , , .448, , .808, , 5.0, , 1.6, , .8, , .7 , , 14.4 , - , align="left", , align="left", Golden State , 9 , , 7 , , 25.7 , , .545 , , .370 , , .679 , , 4.6 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , 1.0 , , 13.9 , - , align="left", , align="left",

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, 3 , , 0 , , 6.0 , , .375 , , .333 , , .000 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0 , , 2.3 , - , align="left", Career , align="left", , 208, , 84, , 24.2, , .459, , .409, , .770, , 4.0, , 1.1, , .6, , .5, , 10.5

Playoffs

, - , align="left",

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

, align="left", Golden State , 6, , 0, , 2.5, , .333, , .000, , 1.000, , .7, , .0, , .2, , .0, , 0.7 , - , align="left",

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, align="left",

, 1, , 0, , 5.0, , .333, , 1.000, , .000, , 1.0, , .0, , 1.0, , .0, , 3.0 , - , align="left", Career , , 7, , 0, , 2.7, , .333, , .500, , 1.000, , .7, , .0, , .3, , .0, , 1.0

References

External links

NBA.com Profile – Kelenna AzubuikeESPN.com profile''Sports Illustrated'' Summary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Azubuike, Kelenna 1983 births Living people Christians from Oklahoma American sportspeople of Nigerian descent Basketball players from Oklahoma Dallas Mavericks players Golden State Warriors players Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players Nigerian men's basketball players Shooting guards Small forwards Sportspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma Texas Legends players Undrafted National Basketball Association players American men's basketball players African-American Christians Nigerian Christians