Andre Iguodala’s successful 19-year NBA career has officially come to an end.
The former Warriors forward and four-time champion explained the reasons behind his decision to retire from the game to Andscape’s Marc Spears.
“It’s just the right time,” Iguodala Spears said in a telephone interview. “Time was slowly running out for me and I didn’t want to let anything take a backseat. I didn’t want to have to try to delegate time anymore. Especially on the pitch and off the pitch with the family. A lot.
“You want to play at a high level. But family is also a lot. My son is 16 and then two girls. So, [I’m] I look forward to watching them grow up in these important years.”
The 39-year-old spent the first eight seasons of his career with the 76ers after Philadelphia selected him with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He then spent one season in Denver with the Nuggets before moving to the Bay and joining the Warriors.
Iguodala was part of the Warriors dynasty that reached the NBA Finals five straight times, winning three of them. He spent two seasons (2019-20, 2020-21) with the Miami Heat before returning to Golden State, where he spent the final two seasons of his career and won another championship.
“We won four championships, which is kind of unheard of,” Iguodala told Spears. “There are only a handful of teams that can say that. You got that [Chicago] Bulls, the [Los Angeles] Lakers, [Boston] Celtics, us, and that’s it. No organization was run like that. And I think it’s a testament that we believe in each other and play the right way. The game played beautifully and had perfect timing for me at my best.
“And things just happen the way they were supposed to happen when they happened, and that actually strengthens your faith. You just leave it to someone else to say, ‘Let me do my best based on what I can do.’ “The work I put in and the focus I put into the game paid off.”
The Warriors released a statement from owner Joe Lacob regarding Iguodala’s resignation.
“Andre Iguodala was a key part of the Warriors’ four NBA championship teams and will forever be remembered for his many contributions to our franchise on and off the court. His team-first approach that we witnessed upon his arrival at Golden State laid the foundation for much of our success, as did the impact he had on the defensive side of the floor.
“We look forward to leading No. 9 at Chase Center at some point in the future, and we wish him all the best in what is sure to be a very successful entry into the business world after playing.”
Over nearly two decades, Iguodala averaged 11.3 points on 46.3 percent shooting, with 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Perhaps his most memorable run on the court was in the 2015 NBA Finals, when he earned Finals MVP honors for doing the impossible and pinning former Cleveland Cavalier and NBA superstar LeBron James.
In addition to his elite defense, Iguodala was also effective on the other end of the floor. He averaged 16.3 points on an efficient shooting percentage of 52.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range and added 5.8 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. In that final Game 6, Iguodala dropped 25 points on 45 percent shooting, with five rebounds, five assists and two steals in 36 minutes.
“That was pretty cool,” Iguodala told Spears. “It was funny. [Then-Warriors general manager] Bob Myers was the one who broke the news to me. It was one of those moments you will never forget. I remember every moment when that happened. But you can always say with certainty that if you just go out and do your job and do what you’re supposed to do, things will happen the way they’re supposed to happen. You just have to believe that as long as you have that belief, things will work out for the better.
“A lot of times in sports you see guys go out there to make sure they get it and sometimes that gets in the way of team success. It always does.”
In his last two seasons with the Warriors, particularly last season, Iguodala served as an unofficial assistant coach of sorts, acting as a mentor to young players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Whether on the field or off it, Iguodala’s impact was felt and will certainly be missed.
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