newsletter, future vice president of basketball operations. Assessing every Golden State players performance from the teams 108-99 win over New Orleans. Fifteen years ago today, Kelenna Azubuike made his Golden State Warriors debut in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. After finishing his junior season in college, Azubuike declared himself eligible for the 2005 NBA Draft, eventually going undrafted that year. Azubuike will receive a deal for the rest of this season and a team option for next season, sources said. 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. 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. The Warriors ought to be an electrifying affair for both casuals and die-hards. 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? The Warriors named Kelenna Azubuike as their new television color analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area, replacing Jim Barnett, a longtime staple of the game broadcasts. [18] He was awarded All-Big 12 third team by the conference's coaches[19] and second team by the AP. Im grateful that the Warriors are giving me a contract to do this. Lets not settle for just Barnett, though. [18] He was waived by the Cavaliers on 14 October 2012. 8 small forward and the No. The couple recently made headlines after getting married earlier in October 2022. Rivers, a former Knick, fired back in an Instagram comment after the game. Something went wrong. Appreciating Klay Thompson filling in the superstar shoes. Net Worth: Undisclosed. Lets bring Azubuikes fellow We Believe luminary to the booth, too. Just to be clear, were not trying to get anyone actually fired here, even in this hypothetical dream scenario. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. We think Kelenna is one of the bright, young stars in the broadcasting business, Warriors President Rick Welts said in a statement. 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. Dub Hub:Bob Myers gives an update on Andrew Wiggins absence. 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. 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.[1]. 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. And the fan base adored him, so much so that the outpouring of support (and the inability to secure Brent Barrys services) when his forced retirement was announced even delayed his exile for a few years. He actually connected me with NBC Sports Bay Area. The injury, plus a botched surgery that left his kneecap up against his quadriceps, ultimately ended his NBA career. , Its always a tough thing, when someone has been doing such a great job for so long and then change happens. "We like him as a player," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told reporters in San Antonio on Friday morning following the team's shootaround. Yet a specter haunts Chase Center (and other assorted arenas) on the sidelines: Festooned to the team like an albatross is the bewildering broadcasting tandem of Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike. 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. 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. Barnett, 75, has on numerous occasions worked with Roye on radio, usually in postseason games on national TV. You make that deal. Fitzgeralds homerism isnt the genuine, charming if sort of silly homerism of a drunk but passionate fan. Hes found a workaround from being phased out, still plies his wisdom and his trademark avuncular wit on the radio side of things. In his last season, he played with Cleveland Cavaliers for $1 Million.. After retiring from Basketball, Azubuike started working with . Azubuike (ankle) has been ruled out for Fridays game against the Clippers, Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune reports. 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. The Dallas Mavericks signed swingman Kelenna Azubuike to fill the roster spot vacated by Thursday's release of Sean Williams. For sure unprofessional., The Golden State Warriors broadcasters need to honestly be stopped. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. 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. blancs50 4 yr. ago. I feel like if the Warriors can just stay above water while Klay is out hopefully, he gets back by the All-Star break they can get into the playoffs. Im not trying to be Jim Barnett hes one of a kind, and nobody can do that. How old is Udoka? (Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage) / WireImage. [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. Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. I remember him being traded to NY from GS and am pretty sure he was dealing with injuries..was he forced to retire? Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images. 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. 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. [38] On November 24, 2020, the Utah Jazz announced that they had signed Azubuike. He got a big contract extension when, oh wait, his dad was the coach, said Fitzgerald. [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. Both also are scheduled to join Fitzgerald for the first telecast from Chase Center. [15] 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. The Denver Nuggets are the only NBA team to come back from a 3-1 series deficit multiple times in the same year (2020). On 9 April 2012, he was recalled by the Mavericks. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages. Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? [26] An MRI revealed he tore a ligament in his right hand. [24], Azubuike has been involved with many humanitarian causes during his time in the NBA. Azubuike accepted a personal invitation from Jakaya Kikwete, the President of Tanzania, to take part in Leon H. Sullivan Summit VIII, a five-day convention held from 2 to 6 June 2008 in Arusha, Tanzania.The convention brought together many of the world's political and business leaders to focus attention and . or is he playing somewhere else? Barnett will return for his 35th season providing opinion and insights, but his medium will change. Andre Iguodala might be free next season if he hasnt achieved his final form as an NFT. [5] What ever happened to Kelenna Azubuike? Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. What can the Knicks do for an encore after the thrilling highs of 2021? This is a carousel. The recently passed SECURE 2.0 Act is giving college savers more time to learn the benefits of compound interest. 270lbsUdoka Azubuike / Weight New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 62. Hes done an outstanding job the last few seasons as a member of our pre, halftime and post-game shows on NBC Sports Bay Area, 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. By Steve Berman. The Warriors named Kelenna Azubuike as their new television color analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area, replacing Jim Barnett, a longtime staple of the game broadcasts. The Dubs have won five straight and Stephs return is on the horizon! Jim sat in this seat for a long time, he said. Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies. Jazz center Udoka Azubuike underwent successful surgery on Friday to repair multiple ligaments in his right ankle and foot, the team announced. A lingering knee injury has forced former Cat Kelenna Azubuike into an early retirement from basketball. Pilfer Mark Jones from the Kings. "Utah Jazz take Kansas center Udoka Azubuike at No. He got up under Andre [Iguodala]., Fitzgerald asked, Well, whats the main sport in Argentina?, Azubuike answered, Soccer, thats what I was thinking. [29], On April 22, 2019, Azubuike announced he would return to Kansas for his senior season. A lingering knee injury has forced former Cat Kelenna Azubuike into an early retirement from basketball. Sports enterprise reporter Ron Kroichick has worked at The San Francisco Chronicle since 1995, when he came from The Sacramento Bee. He went 4/4 from the field in that brief stint. Details on the contract were not disclosed. Im excited to bring my personality to it and talk to fans about why things are happening. And, no, Jim Barnett is not retiring. And though Mr. Boom Dizzle opted out in 2008 and tried to start a super-team with Elton Brand in Los Angeles (weird sentence! But most of us endure it. 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. Though, you can, much like the aggrieved party, forgive. Azubuike has also worked as an analyst for the NBA on ESPN Radio since 2022. The season cant get here soon enough.. 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. Curry and Draymond Green are the only members of the now-defunct Hamptons Five slated to start the season in the lineup. Approx. 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. [2] Azubuike was a four-year starter averaging 16.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game his senior year. [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. He's previously contributed to The New Yorker, Vice, GQ and more. 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. This site uses different types of cookies. [2] In his first high school game he was matched up against fellow future Kansas Jayhawk Joel Embiid. 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. Lets move on with dignity. [20], On April 20, 2018, Azubuike announced his intention to enter the 2018 NBA draft. But when youre doing color commentary, youre reacting on the spot. After that, Fitzgerald and Azubuike laughed while they mocked the accent of the Argentinian Campazzo. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Azubuike covered Warrior's games after he joined NBC Sports Bay Area in 2015. Gambling problem? Usher in the broadcaster empowerment era. Azubuike called himself a basketball junkie who loves talking about the game. Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks. Alex Siquig (@ThomasAwful on Twitter) is a Bay Area expat based in Baltimore who still stays up way too late to watch Golden State play. 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. I hope I can do this for many years to come.. [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. While his NBA career was cut short by a devastating freak injury less than three years later, a broadcasting career was born that night. Well, that varies from player to player, and Kelenna Azubuike, former New York Knick, realized this the hard way when Carmelo Anthony joined his then team and wanted to take the No. 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. Tuning into a Warriors game means subjecting yourself to two hype-men inelegantly bumbling into one another for 2.5 hours. Its also something that one doesnt really have to make the case for. Hell miss the rest of the 2021/22 season. For more information, please see our [10] In the final hour, Golden State matched the offer made by the Clippers on 24 July 2008, allowing Azubuike to remain a Warrior. Hed still be great, or at least pretty good in that role. Draymond Green (left) is introduced by Warriors analyst Jim Barnett at a press conference held to announce the re-signing of Green at the Warriors team practice facility in Oakland, California, on Thursday, July 9, 2015. [1] 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. Whatever we lose from not having someone explain a shot did or didnt go in will be more than made up for. Azubuike played three years for the Kentucky Wildcats, averaging 15 points per game in his junior season. 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. Fifteen years ago today, Kelenna Azubuike made his Golden State Warriors debut in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. Kelenna Azubuike looks like a completely different player than he did last summer. Lex 18 caught up with Kelenna this weekend to see how is handling life after . [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. The Clippers' offer was matched by the Warriors on July 24, 2008, allowing Azubuike to remain a Warrior.[6]. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in. 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. [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. Whenever one hears about ESPN dropping a new "30 for 30" documentary . [35] Azubuike averaged 13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game as a senior. Azubuike Emanuel Egwuekwe (born 16 July 1989) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Rivers United as a centre back. Its even the sort of splashy move that would appeal to Lacobs Light Years brain. 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 in the statement. In 2016, Kroichick and photographer Michael Macor earned "Best Sports Feature" from the California Newspaper Publishers Association, for their series on Antioch High running back Najee Harris, the nation's No. And he threw down a lot of spectacular dunks. He was our smile because it happened franchise player. 34 player in the nation in 2002. Barnett fully expected to move into an ambassadors role with the team at the time. Media column: Al Davis '30 for 30 review; Warriors' Kelenna Azubuike settles in. Some FAQs Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? 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. 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.