why did kelenna azubuike retire

Barnett fully expected to move into an ambassadors role with the team at the time. 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. 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. In short, nobody loves this relatively new-ish duo. 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. [13] Udoka started every game of the regular season but missed the Big 12 tournament after spraining his left MCL. Tuning into a Warriors game means subjecting yourself to two hype-men inelegantly bumbling into one another for 2.5 hours. Azubuike has also worked as an analyst for the NBA on ESPN Radio since 2022. 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. Azubuike, 35, will partner with play-by-play broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald on TV. I remember him being traded to NY from GS and am pretty sure he was dealing with injuries..was he forced to retire? During Mondays game against the Washington Wizards, Azubuike even went so far as to describe Steph Curry as a big-time player. I dont know, man. [15] blancs50 4 yr. ago. The injury, plus a botched surgery that left his kneecap up against his quadriceps, ultimately ended his NBA career. He always comes equipped with the latest talking points from on high. The Dubs have won five straight and Stephs return is on the horizon! Steph Curry and Zion Williamson highlight the list of players who arent available tonight. I averaged 11 ppg, 12 ppg, and 16 ppg of the bench for a loaded Clippers team. Fifteen years ago. 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]. 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. Barnett will return for his 35th season providing opinion and insights, but his medium will change. "[31], Azubuike scored a career-high 29 points in a 9084 overtime win over Dayton on November 27, 2019. Kelenna David Azubuike (born December 16, 1983) is an English/American former professional basketball player. He ferociously toes the company line, to an off-putting extent. While he was somehow able to keep pace with the other guards, he knew it was time to retire if he wanted the retain the ability to walk in future years. [12], On 9 July 2010, Azubuike was traded to the New York Knicks along with Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and a future second-round pick in a sign and trade deal for David Lee. newsletter, future vice president of basketball operations. [4][7], After going undrafted, Azubuike was signed by the Golden State Warriors on 2 January 2007. 7 off his back . 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. [4] As a junior, Azubuike was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the Associated Press and the league's coaches after leading the team and ranking tenth in the SEC in points per game, averaging 14.7 overall. Barnett spent 11 seasons as a guard in the NBA, including three with the Warriors, when he averaged 11.9 points per game. Media column: Al Davis '30 for 30 review; Warriors' Kelenna Azubuike settles in. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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. Its really an honor, and Im super humbled the Warriors believe in me, Azubuike said in a phone interview. Lets not forget how he got here in the first place! While his NBA career was cut short by a devastating freak injury less than three . Davis, despite his relatively short stint in the Bay Area, is very much beloved. It is kind of whole new thing when compared with the studio. Barnett was willing to criticize when the situation called for it, and Azubuike expects to do the same. 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. Privacy Policy. On July 7, the Warriors re-signed him. Undrafted out of Kentucky, Azubuike began his pro career with the Fort Worth Flyers in the D-League and was regarded as a quality defender and 3-point shooter before his knee troubles (the Fort Worth franchise has since relocated to Reno, Nev.). 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. Azubuike answered, "Soccer, that's what I was thinking. 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. The same will apply to their telecasts and radio broadcasts. Some FAQs Why did Kelenna Azubuike retire? A broadcaster obviously shouldnt have noticeable loathing for the team whose games they call. Azubuike (ankle) has been ruled out for Fridays game against the Clippers, Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune reports. Assessing every Golden State players performance from the teams 108-99 win over New Orleans. And though Mr. Boom Dizzle opted out in 2008 and tried to start a super-team with Elton Brand in Los Angeles (weird sentence! 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. 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. Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. Clumsy jokes. Theres no one more deserving.. Hes found a workaround from being phased out, still plies his wisdom and his trademark avuncular wit on the radio side of things. Whenever one hears about ESPN dropping a new "30 for 30" documentary . 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. Others are cautiously optimistic that by 2029 or so, Fitzgerald and Azubuike will really start to gel and find their rhythm. Rona Azubuike is the wife of former professional basketball player and sports analyst Kelenna Azubuike. [2] Azubuike was a four-year starter averaging 16.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game his senior year. Now, why would Baron ever, in a million Earth years, actually do this? 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. Lets bring Azubuikes fellow We Believe luminary to the booth, too. 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. Many of us still feel a certain rawness about the semi-mysterious ouster of Barnett, a certain sadness that Davis left us for the Los Angeles Clippers after a 48-win season that was begging to be avenged. But most of us endure it. He was too tall (this is very threatening to the extremely wealthy). He went 4/4 from the field in that brief stint. What can the Knicks do for an encore after the thrilling h MLB's rule changes will only bring needless new degree of confusion, Yankees may get solution to to glut of infielders after NL teams' misfortune, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages. [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. Go full super-team. This site uses different types of cookies. Its more akin to Lacob-ism, and before that, Cohan-ism. [3] On January 28, 2016, he announced his choice to play college basketball at the University of Kansas.[11]. Azubuike was selected with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage) / WireImage. [10] In the final hour, Golden State matched the offer made by the Clippers on 24 July 2008, allowing Azubuike to remain a Warrior. Currently, his net worth is 9 million dollars. But when youre doing color commentary, youre reacting on the spot. Azubuike entered the 2005 NBA Draft after his junior year. Now that they appear to be emerging from their recent, unsettling slump, they should be a squad reliably worthy of a nightly League Pass Alert. Hes too good to only be calling away games on the radio. As Barnett once said, the key to a successful career announcing games is talking about fundamentals and also being able to speak the Kings English. Sounds like hes very clearly describing Baron Davis. [35] Azubuike averaged 13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game as a senior. It resurrects a deep and abiding connection that was severed too early, too abruptly. That remains to be seen. pic.twitter.com/17FXszxmEe, Just a few minutes later, Campazzo was arguing a foul call when Fitzgerald said on the broadcast, Campazzo likes to get scrappy and then look aggrieved all the time., Azubuike chimed in, adding, See, this is how you lose your credibility. "The hope is that he can possibly help us this year. Andre Iguodala might be free next season if he hasnt achieved his final form as an NFT. "He's an energetic, athletic guy that's a very good 3-point shooter. As part of his comeback, he was assigned to the Mavericks' D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends. Whatever we lose from not having someone explain a shot did or didnt go in will be more than made up for. 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. 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. [16] On 20 April 2012, Azubuike played in his first NBA game since 14 November 2009, against the Golden State Warriors. He cannot believe they called that on him. With Mickael Pietrus likely on the way out . Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. 4 Kansas beats Dayton 90-84 in overtime for Maui title", "Kansas snaps Baylor's Big 12-record win streak", "Men's Basketball All-Big 12 Awards Announced", "Udoka Azubuike named defensive player of the year by NABC", "NBC Sports College Basketball All-American Teams". But its been the great honor of my life to plot this coup on his behalf. He played college basketball at the University of Kentucky from 2002 to 2005. . Klay Thompson scores 27 as Warriors keep rolling in 108-99 win over Pelicans. Fitz and Buike will merely be repurposed to roles that better suit them. 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. "3 grand, that's it?" A lingering knee injury has forced former Cat Kelenna Azubuike into an early retirement from basketball. 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. On 9 April 2012, he was recalled by the Mavericks. 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. 1 option. 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. [13] Azubuike never played in a game for the Knicks. [17] This high percentage was in part due to the majority of his field goals being slam dunks, which typically have a higher completion percentage than jump shots or layups. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The Warriors also will unveil a reshaped team, given the departures of Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompsons torn ACL. Barnett, 75, has on numerous occasions worked with Roye on radio, usually in postseason games on national TV. 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. Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. Lets not settle for just Barnett, though.