Kelenna Azubuike facts for kids
Azubuke in 2016
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 December 1983 London, England |
| Nationality | American/ Nigerian |
| High school | Victory Christian (Tulsa, Oklahoma) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kentucky (2002–2005) |
| NBA Draft | 2005 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2005–2012 |
| Career history | |
| 2005–2007 | Fort Worth Flyers |
| 2007–2010 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2012 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2012 | →Texas Legends |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 2,178 (10.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 829 (4.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 230 (1.1 apg) |
Kelenna David Azubuike (born 16 December 1983) is a former professional basketball player. He was born in England to Nigerian parents. Kelenna is now a television analyst for the Golden State Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Kelenna moved to the United States when he was a child. He grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There, he became a great player at Victory Christian High School. Later, he played college basketball for the Wildcats at the University of Kentucky. After college, Kelenna played for the Fort Worth Flyers in the NBA Development League (D-League). He was the top scorer in the D-League during the 2006–07 season. This led him to play for the Golden State Warriors.
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Kelenna's Early Life and School
Kelenna Azubuike was born in London, England. His parents, Kenneth and Chi Azubuike, were doctors. They moved to London for their work. In 1989, Kelenna and his family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. His father got a job at Saint Francis Hospital. His family later became American citizens.
Kelenna played basketball for Victory Christian High School. In his second year, he helped his team win the state championship. He became an All-State player. In his final year of high school, he scored an average of 39.1 points and grabbed 13.3 rebounds per game. He led his team to the Class 4A State Championship Game. Kelenna was the best scorer in Oklahoma for his last three years of high school. He finished his high school career with 3,530 points.
College Basketball Career
Kelenna played college basketball for the Wildcats at the University of Kentucky. His coach was Tubby Smith. Kelenna said that he learned to create offense by playing strong defense.
In his third year, Kelenna was named to the All-SEC Second Team. This means he was one of the best players in the SEC. He led his team in points per game, averaging 14.7 points. Kelenna also made the 2005 SEC All-Tournament Team. He averaged 18.0 points in three games during that tournament. While at Kentucky, Kelenna helped the Wildcats win two SEC titles. They also won two SEC Tournament titles. His team reached the NCAA Elite Eight twice. Kelenna averaged 10.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 97 games for Kentucky. He studied business marketing in college.
Playing Professional Basketball
Starting with the Fort Worth Flyers (2005–2007)
In April 2005, Kelenna decided to enter the NBA draft after his junior year. He signed with an agent, which meant he could no longer play college basketball.
In the 2005–06 season, Kelenna played for the Fort Worth Flyers. This team was part of the NBA's Developmental League, also known as the D-League. The D-League is where players can develop their skills to play in the NBA. He averaged 12.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 41 games. Kelenna also played for the Denver Nuggets in a summer league. He averaged 16.4 points there. In August 2006, the Houston Rockets signed him, but they later let him go. Back with the Fort Worth Flyers, Kelenna was amazing. He averaged 26.0 points per game, which was the best in the league. He also had 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
Playing for the Golden State Warriors (2007–2010)
Even though he wasn't picked in the NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors signed Kelenna on 2 January 2007. Kelenna was the first player from the D-League to be called up to the NBA in the 2006–07 season.
During his second season with the Warriors, Kelenna wanted to play for the British team in the 2012 London Olympic Games. However, he was not given British citizenship. He could also play for the Nigeria national team. On 17 July 2008, the Los Angeles Clippers offered Kelenna a three-year contract worth $9 million. The Golden State Warriors had seven days to match this offer. On 24 July 2008, the Warriors matched the offer, so Kelenna stayed with the team.
On 17 November 2009, Kelenna got a serious injury. He tore a tendon in his right knee during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. This injury meant he missed the rest of the 2009–10 season. On 9 July 2010, Kelenna was traded to the New York Knicks. He never played a game for the Knicks. They let him go on 28 February 2011.
Time with the Dallas Mavericks (2012)
On 23 March 2012, the Dallas Mavericks signed Kelenna. As part of his return to playing, he was sent to the Mavericks' D-League team, the Texas Legends. On 9 April 2012, the Mavericks called him back to their main team. On 20 April 2012, Kelenna played in his first NBA game since November 2009. This game was against his old team, the Golden State Warriors. On 28 June 2012, Kelenna was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the Cavaliers let him go on 14 October 2012.
Kelenna's Broadcasting Career
In the summer of 2015, Kelenna went to a special program at Syracuse University. It was called "Sportscaster U." and helped athletes learn about broadcasting. Since then, he has announced many NBA D-League games for NBA TV. Some of these games were also shown on ESPNU.
In 2015, Kelenna joined NBC Sports Bay Area. He became a studio analyst, talking about Warriors games before, during halftime, and after the games. In 2019, he became the main television analyst for the Warriors, working alongside Bob Fitzgerald. He took over from Jim Barnett. Kelenna has also worked as an analyst for the NBA on ESPN Radio since 2022.
Kelenna's Personal Life
Kelenna has three brothers and sisters: Nonzo, Nesochi, and Adaeze. He loves Christian music and even creates his own music. In the 2006–07 NBA season, Kelenna was on a Bay Area hip hop radio station, KMEL. He did an interview while the station played music he had made. Kelenna is a Christian.
Kelenna has helped with many good causes during his time in the NBA. He was invited by Jakaya Kikwete, the President of Tanzania, to a big meeting called the Leon H. Sullivan Summit VIII. This meeting brought together world leaders to focus on helping Africa grow.
Kelenna is also a co-founder of The Athletes' Corner. This is a group that works with professional athletes. They create media content that focuses on faith and family.
See also
In Spanish: Kelenna Azubuike para niños
- List of European basketball players in the United States
