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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Festus Ezeli (born October 21, 1989) is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. He played for five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Festus played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores.
He was picked by the Golden State Warriors in the 2012 NBA draft. With the Warriors, he won an NBA Championship in 2015. Festus last played in the 2016 NBA Finals. He then took a break from basketball due to knee surgery. He returned to play briefly in 2021.
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Festus Ezeli's Early Life
Growing Up in Nigeria
Festus Ezeli was one of five children. He once shared that his parents called him an "unusual child." His first name, Ifeanyi, means "nothing is impossible with God." This idea helped guide him through 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 this goal, 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 good sport for him. Festus was already 6 feet 8 inches tall! But Festus had never played organized sports before. He had played soccer as a child, but basketball was very new.
He spent a year at Jesuit High School in Sacramento. He did not play basketball there. Some say he was too old because he had already finished high school in Nigeria. Others say he did not make the team.
Festus started playing basketball with a low-level team. His first points were even scored in his own team's basket! He found learning the game very hard. He said it was like teaching a 6-year-old when he was 14 or 15. Everyone, including him, felt frustrated.
He tried playing in 2005 and stopped. He tried again in 2006. He finally started to like it when he made his first dunk in a summer game in Las Vegas in 2006. He said it was "so exciting."
At 16, Festus joined another team and also took classes at Yuba Community College. He did not go to college full-time. This meant he could still play college basketball for four years later. He also helped the team by filming their games.
Even though he was still learning the basics, Festus played in a big competition in the summer of 2007. By then, he was 6 feet 11 inches tall. He averaged 10 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks per game. This earned him an invitation to a special basketball camp.
How Festus Was Recruited for College
When Festus went to the Reebok All-American Camp, it changed his life. College recruiters were very interested in him. They were amazed by his height and his potential, even if he was still learning the game. He received offers from 27 different colleges.
With help from his coaches, Festus chose from a few top schools. These included Boston College, Connecticut, Harvard, and Vanderbilt. The coaches at Vanderbilt talked about their strong academics. They also had experience with players from other countries.
The head coach, Kevin Stallings, told Festus he could take a "redshirt" year. This meant he would not play in games his first year. It would give him more time to get better at basketball. Another talented player was joining the team at the same time.
Festus Ezeli's College 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 player, A.J. Ogilvy, in practice.
But over time, Festus got much better. He studied the game a lot and worked hard on his skills. He spent his first two years mostly as a backup player. When Ogilvy left for the NBA draft in 2010, Festus became a starter.
In the 2010–11 season, Festus had a great year. He averaged 13.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He was named a second-team All-SEC player. He also broke a school record for blocked shots in a single season. Many people noticed how much he had improved.
Before his final season at Vanderbilt, his coach said Festus now "had a feel for the game." The coach thought it was amazing that Festus learned basketball while playing in a tough college league.
Festus Ezeli's Professional Career
Playing for the Golden State Warriors (2012–2016)
The Golden State Warriors picked Festus Ezeli as the 30th player in the 2012 NBA draft. He signed his first contract with them on July 6, 2012. In his first year (2012–13), Festus started many games. This was because their main center, Andrew Bogut, was injured. On January 19, 2013, Festus had his best game of the season. He scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
In June 2013, Festus had surgery on his right knee. He was out for six to nine months. This meant he missed the entire 2013–14 season.
Festus came back 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. The next day, he hurt his left ankle. This injury kept him out of games for all of January. He was sent to the Santa Cruz Warriors (a smaller league team) to get back in shape. He returned to the Golden State team in February.
In the 2015 NBA playoffs, Festus played important minutes. He often filled in when Andrew Bogut had too many fouls. The Warriors made it to the Western Conference Finals. They beat the Houston Rockets in five games. Festus then won his first NBA championship! The Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals in six games.
On August 1, 2015, Festus played in a special exhibition game called the 2015 NBA Africa exhibition game. On November 6, he scored a career-high 16 points. The Warriors started the season with an amazing 24 wins in a row. This was an NBA record! They finally lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on December 12.
On February 8, 2016, Festus had surgery on his left knee again. He was out for six weeks. He returned to play on April 3. Festus helped the Warriors win an NBA record 73 games that season. This 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. But in the Finals, they lost to the Cavaliers in seven games.
Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers (2016–2017)
On July 7, 2016, Festus signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. On August 23, he had a left knee injection. He was expected to be out for six weeks. Two months later, his knee still had swelling.
By December, it was clear that his knee was not getting better. He needed surgery again. On March 8, 2017, Festus had knee surgery. He missed the rest of the 2016–17 season. On June 30, 2017, the Trail Blazers let him go. He had not played a single game for them.
Playing for the Westchester Knicks (2021)
On March 2, 2021, Festus signed with the Westchester Knicks. This team is part of the NBA G League. This was his return to professional basketball after four years away. He had been dealing with many injuries and tough recoveries. Festus played in two games for the Knicks.
On April 17, 2021, Festus signed with the Rivers Hoopers. This team plays in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). However, he got injured again and did not play any games for them.
Festus Ezeli's Personal Life
Festus Ezeli has a half-sister named Marie Nkechi Ndulue.
He started college studying biology. But he changed his major to economics because basketball took up so much time. The head of Vanderbilt University once said it was interesting to hear Festus's ideas on world trade and sports economics. Festus's parents live in Sacramento.
Festus became an American citizen in September 2019.
See also
In Spanish: Festus Ezeli para niños
