Kelenna Azubuike
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Position | Shooting guard |
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| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | 220 lb (100 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 (D-League) (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
In his junior year, playing for the Kentucky Wildcats, he averaged 15 points per game.
[edit] NBA career
He entered the 2005 NBA Draft after his junior year. He was not drafted, but he 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. He was an All D-League player 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 Fort Worth 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 are not yet known. On January 17, while the Warriors' roster was depleted by an eight-player trade in progress, Azubuike played 48 minutes versus the L.A. Clippers, scored 28 points, and collected 7 rebounds. As of April 9, 2007, Azubuike averages 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while logging 17.7 minutes per game.
On July 7, 2007, the Warriors re-signed Azubuike.[4] So far during the 2007-08 season, Azubuike is averaging 12.3 points, and 4.9 rebounds while logging 28.8 minutes per game.
[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 - July 17, 2007
[edit] External links
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