Golden State Warriors center Charles Bassey says his continued presence in the NBA, after repeated injury setbacks, is a reflection of the adversity he has had to overcome.
The Nigeria-born center is in his sixth NBA season after earning a return to Golden State with a productive finish to the previous campaign. But another knee problem delayed his start this season, extending an injury history that has twice ended his seasons prematurely with San Antonio Spurs.
"Obviously, I've had injuries and I'm still here, so it's been a long, adverse journey," Bassey said in a video posted by the Warriors on social media.
The center missed Golden State's first two games with knee tendinitis before scoring 10 points and collecting seven rebounds, with two blocks, in a 131-122 loss at Phoenix on Oct. 24. He made all four of his field-goal attempts in just under 13 minutes.
That performance followed the five-game stretch that helped secure his return to the Warriors. Signed late last season, Bassey averaged 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds before agreeing to a one-year deal in July.
His opportunity in Golden State came after a season spent moving between NBA teams and the G League. He had appeared for Memphis, Philadelphia and Boston before the Warriors picked him up in April.
On his 26th birthday, the Warriors star looked back to his basketball beginnings and said even the decision to take up the sport required some persuasion.
"It's been a long journey. Obviously, I grew up playing soccer in Nigeria," he said. "I was trying to sell chicken to this dude, but I didn't know he was a coach. He coached basketball, so he talked to me.
"I wasn't interested because I still loved playing football. It took me a minute to just give it a try but I finally did and I liked it."
That decision eventually took him to the United States and Western Kentucky.
"I came to the States, and I went to college, got drafted into the league," Bassey said.
Philadelphia selected him with the 53rd pick in the 2021 NBA draft. By then, he had already recovered from a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg that ended his sophomore college season in December 2019.
The injuries followed him into the NBA.
After joining San Antonio in 2022, Bassey averaged 5.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in 35 games before a patella fracture ended his season in March 2023. That December, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for the Austin Spurs in the G League, ending another season.
He returned to make 36 appearances for San Antonio in 2024-25, but his next sustained opportunity came in the G League. Santa Cruz acquired him from Delaware in December 2025, bringing him into the Warriors' organization.
Across 20 G League regular-season games with Delaware and Santa Cruz last season, he averaged 20.5 points and 12.5 rebounds, becoming the only qualifying player to average at least 20 points and 12 rebounds. It was enough to convince Golden State to sign him after that run.
But his minutes remain limited early this season. After the Phoenix performance, he went scoreless with one rebound in Golden State's 134-114 victory at Denver on Oct. 26.
That Phoenix offered an early opportunity to build on his brief run with Golden State last season, although his limited minutes in Denver showed he is still working to establish a regular role.