Warriors shake up broadcast teams
The Warriors named Kelenna Azubuike as their new television color analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area, replacing Jim Barnett, a longtime staple of the game broadcasts.
Barnett will transition to radio, the team said as part of Friday’s announcement.
“It’s really an honor, and I’m super humbled the Warriors believe in me,” Azubuike said in a phone interview. “I’m excited to bring my personality to it and talk to fans about why things are happening . ... I’m ecstatic. The season can’t get here soon enough.”
Friday’s news ended lingering uncertainty about Barnett’s future with the Warriors. They nearly replaced him after the 201314 season, when his contract expired. Barnett fully expected to move into an ambassador’s role with the team at the time.
Barnett, 75, has been with the Warriors since 1984. He eagerly embraced the idea of working alongside playbyplay veteran Tim Roye on radio broadcasts.
“I’m very happy and grateful to still be employed,” Barnett told The Chronicle. “I hoped I might work in radio after leaving TV. Radio doesn’t show age. I hope I can do this for many years to come.”
Azubuike, 35, will partner with playbyplay broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald on TV. This counts as a highprofile promotion for Azubuike, who has served as an analyst on Warriors Pregame and Postgame Live the past four years.
He played four seasons with Golden State, starting with the 200607 “We Believe” team that beat topseeded Dallas in the first round of the playoffs. Azubuike averaged 10.5 points during his career.
“We think Kelenna is one of the bright, young stars in the broadcasting business,” Warriors President Rick Welts said in a statement. “He’s done an outstanding job the last few seasons as a member of our pre, halftime and postgame shows, and his familiarity with our team, our players and our fans dating back to the ‘We Believe’ days will serve him well in this new role.
“His presence will add a new dimension to our TV broadcasts and we are thrilled with the addition.”
Barnett said of Azubuike, “I really mean this: I’m so happy it’s Kelenna and not someone else. He’s going to be good. He’s handsome, educated and has a gift for words.”
Azubuike called himself a “basketball junkie” who loves talking about the game. He obviously brings some history with the Warriors and their rise to prominence; Azubuike was Stephen Curry’s teammate on the 200910 team.
Later, when Azubuike moved into broadcasting, one of his first calls was to Barnett. Azubuike said Barnett helped connect him to NBC Sports Bay Area and played a huge role in launching Azubuike’s second career.
“Jim sat in this seat for a long time,” he said. “I’m not trying to be Jim Barnett — he’s one of a kind, and nobody can do that. …
“It’s always a tough thing, when someone has been doing such a great job for so long and then change happens. I’m not really concerned about the difficulty of following Jim. All I know how to do is be myself.”
Azubuike takes the job at a fascinating point in Warriors history. Golden State, fresh off five consecutive NBA Finals appearances and three championships, will move across the bay next season to the new Chase Center in San Francisco.
The Warriors also will unveil a reshaped team, given the departures of Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson’s torn ACL. Curry and Draymond Green are the only members of the nowdefunct “Hamptons Five” slated to start the season in the lineup.
“I think it will be a better season than a lot of people think,” Azubuike said. “I feel like if the Warriors can just stay above water while Klay is out — hopefully, he gets back by the AllStar break — they can get into the playoffs. Once they do that, then anything can happen.”
Barnett spent 11 seasons as a guard in the NBA, including three with the Warriors, when he averaged 11.9 points per game. He has worked with Roye on games for radio when they weren’t aired on TV.
“Jim has been a fixture on our broadcast team for over three decades and has served as a comforting and trusted voice for our fans during several different eras of Warriors basketball,” Welts said. “We’re excited he will continue to be a member of our family and broadcast team on the radio side, where he will provide his valuable insight and perspective.”