Kelenna Azubuike
Encyclopedia
Kelenna David Azubuike is a professional basketball
player. Born in London
, England
and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, Azubuike became a standout player during his play at Victory Christian High School, and was eventually recruited to play for the Wildcats
of the University of Kentucky
. After finishing his junior season in college, Azubuike declared himself eligible for the 2005 NBA Draft
, eventually going undrafted that year. Azubuike then played for the Fort Worth Flyers
of the Development League
, leading the league in scoring during the 2006-07 season and eventually being called-up to play for the Golden State Warriors
.
, England
to Kenneth and Chy Azubuike. Azubuike was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. Playing for Victory Christian High School, Azubuike led his team to the state title as a sophomore. 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. He was the top scorer in the state of Oklahoma during his last three seasons of high school, averaging 28.5 points as a sophomore and 38.7 points as a junior. Azubuike finished his prep career with 3,530 points, 89 points short of the all-time state scoring mark.
, Azubuike said that the biggest improvement to his game at Kentucky was the ability to create offense through intense defense. 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. Azubuike was named to the 2005 SEC All-Tournament Team after averaging 18.0 points in three contests. During his time with the organization, Azubuike helped the Wildcats to earn two Southeastern Conference titles, two SEC Tournament titles, and two NCAA Elite Eight
appearances. Azubuike averaged 10.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 97 career games at the University of Kentucky, shooting a 48.5% field goal average for his college career. While attending the University of Kentucky
, Azubuike majored in business marketing
.
In the 2005-06 season, Azubuike averaged 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in forty-one games with the Fort Worth Flyers
of the NBA's Developmental League
. Azubuike played with the Denver Nuggets
in the 2006 Toshiba Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 16.4 points and finished tied at tenth in the league in scoring. In August 2006, Azubuike was signed by the Houston Rockets
as a free agent, but eventually waived by October. Playing for Fort Worth of the Development League again, Azubuike averaged 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.17 steals, and a league-best 26.0 points in 37.7 minutes per contest playing for the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League, shooting 51.4% from the field and 48.5% from three-point range over twelve games.
Impressed with his play, on January 2, 2007, the Golden State Warriors
signed Azubuike. Azubuike was the first Gatorade
Call-Up of the 2006-07 NBA Development League season, and the 49th player overall to be called-up to the NBA since the D-League began play in November 2001. During his second season with Golden State, Azubuike expressed an interest in playing for the British
team during the build-up to the 2012 London Olympic Games
, but was denied British citizenship under the 1981 British Nationality Act
. On July 17, 2008, Azubuike signed an offer sheet with the Los Angeles Clippers
for a three-year deal worth $9 million, with Golden State having seven days to match the offer. In the final hour, Golden State matched the offer made by the Clippers on July 24, 2008, allowing Azubuike to remain a Warrior.
On November 17, 2009, it was announced that Azubuike would miss the remainder of the 2009-10 season because of a torn patella tendon.
On July 9, 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
. Azubuike was waived by the Knicks on February 28, 2011 after failing to suit up the entire season.
| align="left"| 2006–07
| align="left"| Golden State
| 41||9||16.3||.445||.430||.782||2.3||.7||.5||.2||7.1
|-
| align="left"| 2007–08
| align="left"| Golden State
| 81||17||21.4||.445||.364||.717||4.0||.9||.6||.4||8.5
|-
| align="left"| 2008–09
| align="left"| Golden State
| 74||51||32.1|| .464 ||.448||.808||5.0||1.6||.8|| .7 ||14.4
|-
| align="left"| 2009–10
| align="left"| Golden State
| 9 || 7 || 25.7 || .545 || .370 || .679 || 4.6 || 1.1 || .6 || 1.0 || 13.9
|-
| align="left"| Career
| align="left"|
| 205||84||24.4||.459||.409||.770||4.0||1.1||.6||.5||10.6
| align="left"| 2006–07
| align="left"| Golden State
| 6||0||2.5||.333||.000||1.000||.7||.0||.2||.0||0.7
|-
| align="left"| Career
| align="left"|
| 6||0||2.5||.333||.000||1.000||.7||.0||.2||.0||0.7
fan and enjoys creating his own music. During the 2006-07 season
, Azubuike made an appearance on Bay Area
hip hop station KMEL
and conducted an interview while the station played music which he personally produced. Azubuike also likes to play pool
in his spare time. Azubuike shares homes in Denver, Colorado
and the Bay Area
with his brother Nonzo. While playing at the University of Kentucky his father, Kenneth, was convicted of 41 counts of fraud, in Federal District Court. He was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $340,161 in restitution. This occurred shortly before Kelenna declared for the NBA Draft as an underclassman.
Azubuike has been involved with many humanitarian causes during his time in the NBA. Azubuike accepted a personal invitation from Jakaya Kikwete
, the President of Tanzania
, to take part in Leon H. Sullivan Summit VIII, a five-day convention
held from June 2 to June 6, 2008 in Arusha
, Tanzania. The convention brought together many of the world's political and business leaders to focus attention and resources on Africa
's economic and social development.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. Born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, Azubuike became a standout player during his play at Victory Christian High School, and was eventually recruited to play for the Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
of the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. After finishing his junior season in college, Azubuike declared himself eligible for the 2005 NBA Draft
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
, eventually going undrafted that year. Azubuike then played for the Fort Worth Flyers
Fort Worth Flyers
The Fort Worth Flyers is the name of a now defunct team of the NBA Development League minor league basketball expansion team based in Fort Worth, Texas. They began play in the 2005-06 season. The decision was made by the NBADL to not operate this team for the 2007-08 season.- Franchise history...
of the Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
, leading the league in scoring during the 2006-07 season and eventually being called-up to play for the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
Early life and education
Azubuike was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Kenneth and Chy Azubuike. Azubuike was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. Playing for Victory Christian High School, Azubuike led his team to the state title as a sophomore. 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. He was the top scorer in the state of Oklahoma during his last three seasons of high school, averaging 28.5 points as a sophomore and 38.7 points as a junior. Azubuike finished his prep career with 3,530 points, 89 points short of the all-time state scoring mark.
College
Playing under coach Tubby SmithTubby Smith
Orlando "Tubby" Smith is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the men's basketball head coach at the University of Minnesota...
, Azubuike said that the biggest improvement to his game at Kentucky was the ability to create offense through intense defense. As a junior, Azubuike was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and the league's coaches after leading the team and ranking tenth in the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
in points per game, averaging 14.7 overall. Azubuike was named to the 2005 SEC All-Tournament Team after averaging 18.0 points in three contests. During his time with the organization, Azubuike helped the Wildcats to earn two Southeastern Conference titles, two SEC Tournament titles, and two NCAA Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
appearances. Azubuike averaged 10.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 97 career games at the University of Kentucky, shooting a 48.5% field goal average for his college career. While attending the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, Azubuike majored in business marketing
Business marketing
Business Marketing is the practice of individuals, or organizations, including commercial businesses, governments and institutions, facilitating the sale of their products or services to other companies or organizations that in turn resell them, use them as components in products or services they...
.
Professional career
In April 2005, Azubuike announced his plans to enter the draft after his junior year, signing with agent Joel Bell and ending his college eligibility.In the 2005-06 season, Azubuike averaged 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in forty-one games with the Fort Worth Flyers
Fort Worth Flyers
The Fort Worth Flyers is the name of a now defunct team of the NBA Development League minor league basketball expansion team based in Fort Worth, Texas. They began play in the 2005-06 season. The decision was made by the NBADL to not operate this team for the 2007-08 season.- Franchise history...
of the NBA's Developmental League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
. Azubuike played with the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
in the 2006 Toshiba Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 16.4 points and finished tied at tenth in the league in scoring. In August 2006, Azubuike was signed by the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
as a free agent, but eventually waived by October. Playing for Fort Worth of the Development League again, Azubuike averaged 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.17 steals, and a league-best 26.0 points in 37.7 minutes per contest playing for the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League, shooting 51.4% from the field and 48.5% from three-point range over twelve games.
Impressed with his play, on January 2, 2007, the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
signed Azubuike. Azubuike was the first Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
Call-Up of the 2006-07 NBA Development League season, and the 49th player overall to be called-up to the NBA since the D-League began play in November 2001. During his second season with Golden State, Azubuike expressed an interest in playing for the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
team during the build-up to the 2012 London Olympic Games
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
, but was denied British citizenship under the 1981 British Nationality Act
British Nationality Act 1981
The British Nationality Act 1981 was an Act of Parliament passed by the British Parliament concerning British nationality. It has been the basis of British nationality law since 1 January 1983.-History:...
. On July 17, 2008, Azubuike signed an offer sheet with the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
for a three-year deal worth $9 million, with Golden State having seven days to match the offer. In the final hour, Golden State matched the offer made by the Clippers on July 24, 2008, allowing Azubuike to remain a Warrior.
On November 17, 2009, it was announced that Azubuike would miss the remainder of the 2009-10 season because of a torn patella tendon.
On July 9, 2010, Azubuike was traded to the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
along with Anthony Randolph
Anthony Randolph
Anthony Erwin Randolph, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . Born in Germany to two parents who served in the military there, Randolph's family eventually relocated to the United States,...
, Ronny Turiaf
Ronny Turiaf
Ronny Turiaf is a French professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the NBA. Turiaf has been a member of the French national basketball team....
and a future second-round pick in a sign and trade
Sign and trade
In U.S. basketball, a sign-and-trade agreement is a type of contract allowed in the NBA collective bargaining agreement, wherein one team signs an unrestricted free agent to a contract and trades him to another team of the players choosing...
deal for David Lee
David Lee (basketball)
David Lee is an American professional basketball player who is a power forward and center for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for the University of Florida and was selected by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2005 NBA...
. Azubuike was waived by the Knicks on February 28, 2011 after failing to suit up the entire season.
NBA career statistics
- Statistics correct as of end of 2009-10 season
Regular season
|-| align="left"| 2006–07
| align="left"| Golden State
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 41||9||16.3||.445||.430||.782||2.3||.7||.5||.2||7.1
|-
| align="left"| 2007–08
| align="left"| Golden State
| 81||17||21.4||.445||.364||.717||4.0||.9||.6||.4||8.5
|-
| align="left"| 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left"| Golden State
| 74||51||32.1|| .464 ||.448||.808||5.0||1.6||.8|| .7 ||14.4
|-
| align="left"| 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left"| Golden State
| 9 || 7 || 25.7 || .545 || .370 || .679 || 4.6 || 1.1 || .6 || 1.0 || 13.9
|-
| align="left"| Career
| align="left"|
| 205||84||24.4||.459||.409||.770||4.0||1.1||.6||.5||10.6
Playoffs
|-| align="left"| 2006–07
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| align="left"| Golden State
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 6||0||2.5||.333||.000||1.000||.7||.0||.2||.0||0.7
|-
| align="left"| Career
| align="left"|
| 6||0||2.5||.333||.000||1.000||.7||.0||.2||.0||0.7
Personal life
Azubuike has three siblings, Adaeze, Nesochi, and Nonzo. He is a hip hopHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
fan and enjoys creating his own music. During the 2006-07 season
2006-07 NBA season
The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 31, 2006 and ran through April 18, 2007. The league fielded 30 teams, each playing an 82 game regular season schedule. The top eight seeds from each conference reached the NBA...
, Azubuike made an appearance on Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
hip hop station KMEL
KMEL
KMEL is an Urban Contemporary-formatted radio station located in San Francisco, California, and owned by Clear Channel Communications....
and conducted an interview while the station played music which he personally produced. Azubuike also likes to play pool
Pocket billiards
Pool, also more formally known as pocket billiards or pool billiards , is the family of cue sports and games played on a pool table having six receptacles called pockets along the , into which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. Popular versions include eight-ball and nine-ball...
in his spare time. Azubuike shares homes in Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
with his brother Nonzo. While playing at the University of Kentucky his father, Kenneth, was convicted of 41 counts of fraud, in Federal District Court. He was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $340,161 in restitution. This occurred shortly before Kelenna declared for the NBA Draft as an underclassman.
Azubuike has been involved with many humanitarian causes during his time in the NBA. Azubuike accepted a personal invitation from Jakaya Kikwete
Jakaya Kikwete
Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete is the 4th and current President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Kikwete was born in Msoga, Bagamoyo District, Tanganyika in present day Tanzania...
, the President of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, to take part in Leon H. Sullivan Summit VIII, a five-day convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
held from June 2 to June 6, 2008 in Arusha
Arusha
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
, Tanzania. The convention brought together many of the world's political and business leaders to focus attention and resources on Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
's economic and social development.