The Golden State Warriors have named Kelenna Azubuike the team’s new television color analyst for broadcasts on NBC Sports Bay Area beginning with the 2019-20 NBA season, the team announced today. Additionally, longtime TV analyst Jim Barnett will continue to be a member of the Warriors broadcast team, transitioning to radio as color analyst on the team’s broadcasts.
Azubuike, who will work alongside multi-time Emmy award winning play-by-play broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald, has served as an analyst on Warriors Pregame and Postgame Live for each of the last four (4) seasons on NBC Sports Bay Area. Additionally, he has worked as an analyst on Warriors radio broadcasts on occasion and has contributed to various other broadcasting platforms at NBC Sports Bay Area. Azubuike played four seasons with the Warriors (2006-07 to 2009-10) and was a member of the “We Believe” team, which upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 NBA playoffs, becoming the first eight-seed to defeat a one-seed in a best-of-seven playoff series. In five NBA seasons overall with Golden State and Dallas, he posted career averages of 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 24.3 minutes in 208 games (84 starts).
“We think Kelenna is one of the bright, young stars in the broadcasting business,” said Warriors President and COO Rick Welts. “He’s done an outstanding job the last few seasons as a member of our pre, halftime and post-game shows on NBC Sports Bay Area, 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, who is currently the second-longest tenured color analyst in the NBA behind Tommy Heinsohn of the Boston Celtics, will enter his 35th season with the Warriors in 2019-20. He will work in the radio broadcast booth alongside veteran play-by-play voice Tim Roye. Barnett and Roye have worked numerous non-televised games together with the Warriors during each of the last 20-plus seasons, including during the team’s long playoff runs in recent years. Barnett joined the Warriors broadcast team in 1984 and also spent 11 seasons as a player in the NBA, averaging 11.7 points in 732 games with the Warriors, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, San Diego Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers.
“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,” said Welts. “From Sleepy Floyd’s incredible playoff performance in 1987 to our most recent stretch that has included three championships and five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, his outstanding work has been an everyday staple on the airwaves. We’re excited that 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 as we move to Chase Center and begin another stage in the history of our franchise.”
