Kelenna Azubuike: From D-League To NBA Stardom
by Matthew Brennan, D-League.com
One year ago, Kelenna Azubuike was in Fort Worth, Texas, preparing for his second D-League season with the Fort Worth Flyers. Today, Azubuike is averaging 18.3 points in the NBA as a starter for the Golden State Warriors. The 6-7 guard from Kentucky has become the latest D-League success story, but he never lost faith that his NBA dream would come true.
"I knew I was going to get there eventually, it was just a matter of time", said Azubuike after a practice with the Warriors. "I kept a good attitude and stayed focused on my goal, which was making the NBA."
Azubuike was an early entry candidate to the 2005 NBA Draft, but was not selected. He received an invite to training camp that year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but did not make the team and headed to the D-League to work on his game, playing the entire 2005-06 season with the Fort Worth Flyers. After he averaged 12.6 points and 4.0 rebounds for Fort Worth, he tried the training camp route again with the Houston Rockets, but found himself returning to the Flyers for the 2006-07 season. Undaunted, he used the D-League to his advantage as he sought to develop his game for success in the NBA.
"I played with Cleveland, I just tried to work hard there but it didn't work out, said Azubuike. "I went to the D-League for the 05-06 season, then I went to the Rockets and that didn't work out either. So I went back to the D-League and just focused on getting better and took things day by day."
"I worked on everything in the D-League," continued Azubuike. "If you are not in the NBA you probably have to get better at something. I tried to work on my shooting, following the game, everything that would enable me to play on an NBA level. The Warriors picked me up and it was a good match."
Azubuike dominated the D-League over the first two months of 2006, leading all players with 26.0 points per game and shooting .485 (32-66) from three-point range. Not surprisingly, Azubuike became the first GATORADE Call-Up of the 2006-07 when he signed with the Warriors on January 2, 2007.
Many call-ups from the D-League do not receive a lot of playing time at first, Azubuike was the exception to the rule. With the Warriors missing several key players due to injury, the opportunity was there for Azubuike to show that he could contribute. Azubuike scored 28 points and grabbed seven rebounds against the Clippers only two weeks after his call-up, finishing the season with averages of 7.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 41 games (nine starts). He signed a new contract with Golden State during the summer .
"They kind of told me when they first reached out to me that they were shorthanded," recalled Azubuike about his call-up to the Warriors. "They wanted me to come in and be aggressive and fight for minutes, so I just had to prepare myself for that, focus on what the coaches wanted me to do and try to get better everyday."
This season, Azubuike has taken his game to the next level. He is currently averaging 17.0 points and 5.5 rebounds over the first eight games of the season, highlighted by a career-high 33 points on November 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers. He also starred for Golden State in a nationally televised game against the Mavericks on TNT, where he posted a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Azubuike leads all 44 D-League alumni in the NBA in scoring while tying for third on the Warriors behind veterans Baron Davis and Al Harrington. After his long journey to the NBA, Azubuike is not resting on his laurels despite his success.
"I just want to maintain my level of play the whole season and stay healthy. Of course get some wins for the Warriors, stay aggressive, and become better on offense and defense. I'm still looking to improve my all-around game."
Kelenna Azubuike has moved on from the D-League, but the next player to join the likes of Azubuike, Matt Carroll, Ime Udoka, Chuck Hayes, and Mikki Moore and make the leap from the D-League to the NBA is getting ready to start the D-League season this week. Azubuike lent some advice for someone hoping to follow in his footsteps.
"Just keep working towards your goal, keep dreaming and keep a good attitude and things will happen for you," he said. "You just have to be ready when your chance comes."
