Festus Ezeli facts for kids
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Ezeli with the Golden State Warriors in 2013
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 21, 1989 Benin City, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian / American |
| High school | Igbinedion Education Centre (Benin City, Nigeria) Jesuit (Sacramento, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Vanderbilt (2008–2012) |
| NBA Draft | 2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 30th overall |
| Selected by the Golden State Warriors | |
| Pro career | 2012–2016; 2021 |
| Career history | |
| 2012–2016 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2015 | →Santa Cruz Warriors |
| 2021 | Westchester Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Ifeanyi Festus Ezeli-Ndulue (born October 21, 1989) is a former professional basketball player from Nigeria and America. He played for five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), which is the top basketball league in the world. Festus played college basketball at Vanderbilt University. He was chosen by the Golden State Warriors in the 2012 NBA draft. With the Warriors, he won an NBA Championship in 2015. Festus stopped playing basketball for a while because of knee surgery. He made a comeback in 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Journey
Life in Nigeria
Festus Ezeli was one of five children. In an interview, he shared that his parents called him an "unusual child." His first name, Ifeanyi, means "nothing is impossible with God." This idea helped guide him throughout his life. Festus focused a lot on his schoolwork. He finished high school when he was only 14 years old! His dream was to become a doctor. To help him reach his goals, his parents sent him to live with his uncle in Yuba City, California in 2004. His uncle was a children's doctor.
Starting Basketball in America
When Festus arrived in Yuba City, his uncle thought basketball would be a great sport for him. Festus was already 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters) tall! But playing basketball was much harder than school for him. He had played soccer as a child, but never any organized sports like basketball.
He went to Jesuit High School in Sacramento, California. However, he didn't play basketball there. Some say he couldn't play because he had already finished high school in Nigeria. Others say he didn't make the team during tryouts.
His first time playing organized basketball was with a low-level team called AAU. It didn't start well. His very first points were scored in his own team's basket by mistake! He remembered thinking, "Everybody was running up the court, and I was just running with them. It's kind of surreal. ..... How did I get here?"
At 16, Festus joined another AAU team. He also took some classes at Yuba Community College. By not attending full-time, he could still practice with the college team. He even helped by filming their games. Even though he was still learning basic basketball skills, he started playing in bigger AAU games in 2007. By then, he had grown to 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 meters). He averaged 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game. This earned him an invitation to a special basketball camp called the Reebok All-American Camp.
Choosing a College
Going to the Reebok camp was a big moment for Festus. With help from his AAU coaches, he chose between Boston College, Connecticut, Harvard, and Vanderbilt. The coaches at Vanderbilt convinced him to join their team. They talked about the school's great academics. They also mentioned their experience with players from other countries. The head coach, Kevin Stallings, said Festus could "redshirt" his first year. This meant he would practice with the team but not play in games. This would give him more time to improve his skills.
College Basketball Career
Festus arrived at Vanderbilt in 2007. He planned to study biology. He was still very new to basketball. For his first two years, he often struggled against another strong player on his team, A. J. Ogilvy, during practice. But soon, the coaches noticed that Festus was getting better. It became harder for Ogilvy to score against him.
Festus studied the game a lot and worked hard on his basic skills. He spent his first two years mostly as a backup player. He would sometimes start games. Then, A. J. Ogilvy left for the NBA draft after the 2009–10 season.
With Ogilvy gone, Festus had an amazing season in 2010–11. He averaged 13 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He was named a second-team All-SEC (Southeastern Conference) player. He also broke a school record for the most blocked shots in one season! Many people noticed how much Festus had improved. Even the coach of a rival team said, "Ezeli has improved so much that he gives them the best of both worlds [offense and defense]." Before the 2011–12 season, Festus was even named one of the top 20 college basketball players in the country.
Professional Basketball Career
Golden State Warriors (2012–2016)
The Golden State Warriors chose Festus Ezeli as the 30th pick in the 2012 NBA draft. In July, he signed his first contract with the team. During his first year (2012–13), Festus started many games for the Warriors. This was because their main center, Andrew Bogut, was injured. On January 19, 2013, Festus had one of his best games that season. He scored 13 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in a win against the New Orleans Pelicans.
In June 2013, Festus had surgery on his right knee. This meant he couldn't play for six to nine months. He missed the entire 2013–14 season. He returned to play for the Warriors in their first game of the 2014–15 season. On December 22, 2014, he scored a new career-high of 15 points in a win. The next day, he hurt his left ankle and had to wear a special boot. This injury kept him out of games for all of January. He was sent to the Santa Cruz Warriors (a smaller league team) to help him get back in shape. He returned to the Golden State Warriors in February.
In the 2015 NBA playoffs, Festus played important minutes. He was often the first big player to come off the bench. He would fill in for Andrew Bogut when Bogut had too many fouls. The Warriors, with Festus's help, made it to the Western Conference Finals. They beat the Houston Rockets and then won the 2015 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This was Festus's first NBA championship!
On August 1, 2015, Festus played for Team Africa in a special exhibition game.
On November 6, 2015, Festus scored a career-high 16 points in a win. The Warriors had an amazing start to the season, winning their first 24 games. This set a new NBA record! On February 8, 2016, Festus had another surgery on his left knee. He missed 31 games but returned in April. Festus helped the Warriors win an NBA record 73 games that season. They broke the record set by the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls. The Warriors reached the 2016 NBA Finals again. They had to come back from being down 3-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the Western Conference Finals.
Portland Trail Blazers (2016–2017)
On July 7, 2016, Festus signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. However, he faced more knee problems. In August 2016, he had a left knee injection and was told he would be out for six weeks. Two months later, his knee swelled up again. By December, it was clear that his knee needed more serious help. On March 8, 2017, Festus had surgery on his left knee again. This meant he would miss the entire 2016–17 season. On June 30, 2017, the Trail Blazers let him go without him playing a single game for them.
Westchester Knicks (2021)
After dealing with many injuries and tough recoveries, Festus Ezeli returned to professional basketball. On March 2, 2021, he signed with the Westchester Knicks in the NBA G League. This was after a five-year break from playing. He played in two games for them.
Later, on April 17, 2021, Festus signed with Rivers Hoopers to play in the first season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). But before he could play a game with them, he got injured again. He was replaced by another player.
Personal Life
Festus Ezeli has a half-sister named Marie Nkechi Ndulue.
Even though Festus started college studying biology, he changed his major to economics. This was because basketball took up so much of his time. The head of Vanderbilt University, Nicholas Zeppos, once said it was interesting to hear Festus's thoughts on world trade and the business side of American sports. Festus's parents live in Sacramento.
Festus Ezeli became an American citizen in September 2019.
See also
In Spanish: Festus Ezeli para niños
