Kelenna Azubuike
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| Position | Shooting guard |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | 220 lb (99.8 kg) |
| League | NBA |
| Team | Golden State Warriors |
| Jersey | #7 |
| Born | December 16, 1983 London, England, UK |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| High school | Victory Christian |
| College | Kentucky |
| Draft | Undrafted, 2005 |
| Pro career | 2005–present |
| Former teams | Fort Worth Flyers (2005–2007) |
| Official profile | Info Page |
Kelenna David Azubuike (born December 16, 1983 in London, England, UK) is a British-born Nigerian professional basketball, player currently with the NBA's Golden State Warriors. 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]
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[edit] High school career
Azubuike attended Victory Christian School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, US, where he was recruited by then-University of Kentucky coach Tubby Smith. He finished his high school career as the second all-time leading scorer in Oklahoma prep basketball history after amassing 3,530 career points. He was also the only player to ever earn Oklahoma’s “Super 5” recognition three times, an honor bestowed upon the state’s top five players, regardless of classification.
[edit] College career
Azubuike played three years for the Kentucky Wildcats, averaging 15 points per game in his junior season.
[edit] NBA career
Azubuike entered the 2005 NBA Draft after his junior year. He was not drafted, but played some preseason games for the Cleveland Cavaliers; he was waived at the end of the preseason and acquired by the Fort Worth Flyers. 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.
On August 4, 2006, the Houston Rockets signed Azubuike to their training camp roster, but waived him on October 24 after only two preseason games.[2]He returned to the Flyers, where he averaged 26 points and 5 rebounds, while leading the D-League in scoring and ranking third in three-point field goal percentage.[3]
On January 2, 2007, the Golden State Warriors signed Azubuike to shore up their injury-plagued backcourt. Details on the contract were not disclosed. On January 17, while the Warriors' roster was depleted by an eight-player trade in progress, Azubuike played 48 minutes versus the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 28 points and collecting 7 rebounds. On July 7, the Warriors re-signed him.[4]In 2007-08, he averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
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.[5] The Clippers' offer was matched by the Warriors on July 24, 2008, causing Azubuike to remain a Warrior.[6]
[edit] NBA career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
[edit] Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Golden State | 41 | 9 | 16.3 | .445 | .430 | .782 | 2.3 | .7 | .5 | .2 | 7.1 |
| 2007–08 | Golden State | 81 | 17 | 21.4 | .445 | .364 | .717 | 4.0 | .9 | .6 | .4 | 8.5 |
| Career | 122 | 26 | 19.7 | .445 | .383 | .741 | 3.4 | .8 | .6 | .3 | 8.1 |
[edit] Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Golden State | 6 | 0 | 2.5 | .333 | .000 | 1.000 | .7 | .0 | .2 | .0 | .7 |
| Career | 6 | 0 | 2.5 | .333 | .000 | 1.000 | .7 | .0 | .2 | .0 | .7 |
[edit] References
- ^ "Blow for Britain as London-born Kelenna Azubuike is denied passport". Times Online. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
- ^ "Rockets release Kelenna Azubuike". InsideHoops.com (2006-10-24). Retrieved on 2007-01-02.
- ^ "Warriors Sign Kelenna Azubuike to Contract". NBA.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
- ^ Warriors Re-Sign Kelenna Azubuike To Contract
- ^ Sources: Clips, swingman Azubuike agree to multiyear offer sheet ESPN.com, July 17, 2008
- ^ Sources: Warriors keep Azubuike, match Clippers' offer ESPN.com, July 24, 2008
[edit] External links
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