Vanderbilt chancellor Nicholas Zeppos said of Ezeli: "You can imagine what it's like to hear his perspective on world trade, globalization and the economics of American sports. But you probably remember Festus Ezeli being instrumental in the franchise’s 2015 championship or Jordan Bell charging a candle to the hotel bill of an assistant coach in 2019. By not attending full-time, he retained a full four years of college eligibility and was still able to practice with the team; he also served as the team's videographer. During his first two years in the program, while still learning many of the basics of the sport, he was frequently dominated in practice by Ogilvy. One of five children, Ezeli remembered in a 2011 interview with Andy Katz of ESPN.com, "My parents told me I was an unusual child. I was getting frustrated with it. He hasn’t played since 2016 NBA Finals due to knee injuries. And when I had my first dunk in a summer league game in Las Vegas in 2006, that's when I was so excited. My first name is Ifeanyi, and that means 'nothing is impossible with God'. Festus Ezeli last took the floor for an NBA game on June 19, 2016, when the Warriors lost in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers. [31], "Festus Ifeanyi Ezeli on Instagram: "I'm officially a Citizen of The United States of America , "Festus Ezeli continues to learn the game", "One-On-One With Chris Dortch: Festus Ezeli", "Big man finally positioned to play big role for Vanderbilt basketball", https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400278316, Warriors Center Festus Ezeli Undergoes Successful Surgery on Right Knee, Warriors dominate Kings in all facets as Klay Thompson leads way, Warriors News: Festus Ezeli Will Wear Boot To Protect Ankle, Warriors Assign Festus Ezeli to Santa Cruz; Recall Ognjen Kuzmic from D-League, Warriors Recall Festus Ezeli From Santa Cruz, NBA stars, legends shine as Team World rallies to beat Team Africa, Warriors stay unbeaten behind another big night from Curry, "It's over: Bucks hand Warriors 1st loss, win 108–95", Warriors Center Festus Ezeli Undergoes Successful Surgery, Warriors rebound from rare home loss to beat Blazers 136-111, TRAIL BLAZERS CENTER FESTUS EZELI UNDERGOES INJECTION IN LEFT KNEE, TRAIL BLAZERS' CENTER FESTUS EZELI SUFFERS MINOR SETBACK IN COMEBACK, Report: Trail Blazers' Festus Ezeli may need season-ending surgery, TRAIL BLAZERS WAIVE FORMER WARRIORS CENTER FESTUS EZELI, NBA Free Agency: Blazers waive Festus Ezeli before he ever plays a game for them, https://westchester.gleague.nba.com/news/knicks-acquire-festus-ezeli-from-available-player-pool/, "Festus Ezeli and the long, strange trip to the NBA", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Festus_Ezeli&oldid=1011769596, National Basketball Association players from Nigeria, Nigerian expatriate basketball people in the United States, Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball players, Pages using infobox basketball biography with unsupported parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Festus Ezeli statistics at Vanderbilt University, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 12 March 2021, at 18:46. That sets the tone for my journey while I'm alive. Imagine someone who is 14 or 15 years old, and you're teaching them as if they're a 6-year-old. [3][5], With Ogilvy gone, Ezeli had a breakout season in 2010–11, averaging 13 points and 6.3 rebounds[6] while being named a second-team All-SEC (Southeastern Conference) performer. "[3] Ezeli's parents live in Sacramento. [25] In mid-December, it became apparent to the Trail Blazers that conservative treatment of Ezeli's aching left knee wasn't working, and that season-ending surgery was imminent. Ezeli has a half-sister named Marie Nkechi Ndulue. Ezeli's improvement was noted by many in the basketball world; then-Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl told the Chattanooga Times Free Press, "I don't think they miss [Ogilvy] at all. Ognjen Kuzmić (Serbian Cyrillic: Огњен Кузмић, pronounced [ǒɡɲen kûzmit͡ɕ]; born May 16, 1990) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Crvena zvezda of the Adriatic League and the EuroLeague.He also represented the senior Serbian national basketball team internationally. Ex-Warriors center Festus Ezeli is in quarantine in the G League Bubble and will be out Sunday, a source told @TheUndefeated. [26] On March 8, 2017, he underwent surgery on his left knee and was ruled out for the entire 2016–17 season. It was tough. Ifeanyi Festus Ezeli-Ndulue (born October 21, 1989) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League.He had previously played five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This proved much more difficult for him than academics; although he had played soccer as a child,[4] he had never played any organized sports. "[2], At age 16, Ezeli joined a second AAU team and also enrolled part-time at Yuba Community College. On July 7, 2016, Ezeli signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. He hasn’t played since 2016 NBA Finals due to knee injuries. … Over three seasons with the Warriors, Ezeli averaged 4.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, and was a key member of the 2015 group that won the NBA Finals. Offers from 27 Division I schools he knew almost nothing about rolled in. .awaited his arrival as if he were Bigfoot. [17], On August 1, 2015, Ezeli played for Team Africa at the 2015 NBA Africa exhibition game.[18]. [2] While obsessively studying the game and working on his basic skills, he spent his first two seasons of eligibility primarily as a backup to Ogilvy, occasionally starting, until Ogilvy declared for the NBA draft after the 2009–10 season. Ezeli's appearance at the camp marked a major turning point in his life. . 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