Charles Bassey Fights Through Injury History With Golden State

Overcoming setbacks on the floor

Charles Bassey is in his sixth NBA season, working to keep a spot with the Golden State Warriors after facing several serious health issues. Knee tendinitis forced him to miss the first two games of this season.

He returned on Oct. 24 against Phoenix, scoring 10 points, collecting seven rebounds, and blocking two shots in under 13 minutes. He hit all four of his field goal attempts in a 131-122 loss. Two days later, he went scoreless with one rebound in a 134-114 win over Denver.

How a chicken sale started his path

Bassey grew up playing soccer in Nigeria. His turn toward basketball happened unexpectedly when he met a local coach while trying to sell him a chicken. He said he was not interested at first because he loved football, but he decided to give basketball a try.

That choice brought him to the United States to play college basketball at Western Kentucky. A left leg fracture ended his sophomore college season in December 2019. Philadelphia selected him with the 53rd pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

More injuries followed in the pros. He suffered a patella fracture with San Antonio in March 2023. Later that year in December, he tore his ACL playing for the Austin Spurs in the G League.

Finding a spot with Golden State

Before joining Golden State in April, Bassey spent time with Memphis, Philadelphia, and Boston. He excelled in the G League last season, averaging 20.5 points and 12.5 rebounds across 20 games with Delaware and Santa Cruz.

That strong play helped him earn a chance with the Warriors. He averaged 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds over five games late last season, which led to a one year contract in July.

What it means for the next game

Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors (NBA, Sat, 31 Oct): Golden State Warriors win 46%, Los Angeles Lakers win 54%; projected score Golden State Warriors 117, Los Angeles Lakers 117. Our safest pick: Warriors +9.5.

LA Clippers at Golden State Warriors (NBA, Mon, 02 Nov): Golden State Warriors win 51%, LA Clippers win 49%; projected score Golden State Warriors 115, LA Clippers 113. Our safest pick: Warriors +6.5.