Tag: Deserved

Iguodala’s No. 9 Warriors jersey retirement a richly deserved honor originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The day will come, surely it must, when a multipart documentary provides comprehensive details behind the rise of the Golden State Warriors. Part I will spotlight the drafting of Stephen Curry, Part II will focus on the vision of resourceful new ownership and Part III will feature the 2012 NBA draft.

Part IV will be devoted to the first player who gave the franchise prestige, something it had not known in a half-century of California history.

When Andre Iguodala agreed to join the Warriors, sacrificing millions he was offered to play elsewhere – this is notable because Iguodala treats every dollar with profound reverence – it marked a new day in the Bay.

The Warriors were a destination.

That was the first of many significant contributions from Iguodala as the Warriors soared to dynastic heights, and it is among the reasons his No. 9 Golden State jersey is deserving of being retired and raised toward the rafters at Chase Center in a ceremony scheduled for Feb. 23, the Warriors announced on Tuesday, which happened to be Iguodala’s 41st birthday.

“More than anything, if I’m being completely honest, the fans probably played the biggest role in this,” Iguodala says. “They’ve voiced their appreciation of me. The Bay Area is innovative. They understand that you need everything to be functioning at a high level be successful and to have longevity and be able to scale.”

It was after nine seasons with two NBA franchises that Iguodala visualized an extraordinary future with the Warriors and in the summer of 2013 made the calculated decision to hitch a ride.

It was fantasy come to life.

“I never want to gloat. I can properly assess my career, so I don’t need any validation,” Iguodala says. “But I’m taking this one. I think I was the first one to realize how I could extend my career playing with Steph Curry.”

Iguodala chuckles, aware that the statement is both breezy and credible. His decision to join the Warriors cleared a path for them to become champions. It allowed them to dream big enough to believe they could enter the Kevin Durant sweepstakes three years later – and put together a presentation impressive enough to persuade one of the greatest unrestricted free agents in league history to choose Golden State.

After so many decades existing in the NBA outback, ignored by coveted free agents, Iguodala was the first to choose them. After earning respect with a spirited performance in the 2013 NBA playoffs, the Warriors now had taken a giant step toward the goal of every quality professional sports franchise.

The Warriors crept into Iguodala’s mind during the first round of the ’13 playoffs. He was a member of the No. 3 seed Denver Nuggets, who were upset in six games by sixth-seeded Golden State. He was captivated by the glee and audacity with which his opponents conveyed under then-coach Mark Jackson. Iguodala also was charmed by the vociferous enthusiasm inside Oakland’s Oracle Arena.

“I enjoyed the atmosphere in the arena,” he says. “As an opponent, when you enjoy the atmosphere of an opposing [team’s arena], that speaks volumes.”

Iguodala wanted to play for Jackson. Wanted to play with Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes, David Lee and, of course, Curry. He had gotten to know them, particularly Curry and Thompson, and understood Jackson’s lofty praise of the gunslinging young guards.

Iguodala started at small forward in his first season with the Warriors (under Jackson) before making another sacrifice that defined his time and value.

When Jackson was dismissed in May 2014, after the Warriors lost to the rival Los Angeles Clippers in a searing seven-game first-round series, Steve Kerr was hired as his replacement. Kerr and Iguodala were familiar with each other, with both having played at the University of Arizona under legendary coach Lute Olson. The two had a conversation early his Kerr’s first season that resulted in a lineup change that supercharged the team.

Recognizing Iguodala’s chameleon-like ability to play most any role that was needed, Kerr wanted the flexibility that comes with him as Golden State’s sixth man. It was a big ask, as Iguodala started all 82 games as a rookie with the Philadelphia 76ers and another 613 in a row over the next eight seasons.

Iguodala accepted the move unenthusiastically. He was willing to go along with this experiment – long as it was successful. The Warriors won their first five games, lost two, and then reeled off a 16-game win streak, then a franchise record at the time. They were 51-31 in Jackson’s last season, 67-15 and NBA Finals champs in Kerr’s rookie campaign.

That was the first of five consecutive trips to the Finals, a run of success foreign to any franchise outside of Boston and Los Angeles – and perhaps even beyond the most ambitious dreams of co-owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, who led a group that bought the team in 2010.

“I had never been outside the second round,” Iguodala recalls of his thinking upon joining Golden State. “Neither had the Warriors since the ‘70s.

“I don’t speak too far out like that, with those lofty [expectations]. It was just, I don’t know, intuition, playing basketball for quite some time. I didn’t think it would be four. I didn’t think it would be the retirement. I guess the stars were just aligned.”

Iguodala, now 40, was 29 when he joined the Warriors. He was 31 when in 2015 they won their first NBA championship in 40 years – with him earning the Bill Russell Finals MVP award, named for the Boston Celtics Hall of Famer. Curry was the point guard and franchise centerpiece, but he was flanked by a generous collection of talent.

There will be more jersey retirements from the golden era of the Warriors. Curry. Green. Durant. Thompson – who will be at Chase with his current team, the Dallas Mavericks, when Iguodala becomes the first honored with a jersey-retirement ceremony.

“I’m just the oldest; it worked to my benefit in being the first one,” he says. “… I’ve been able to reflect on those guys. Without those guys, I wouldn’t be in this position. I think they understand how important I was. Obviously, Steph, but also Klay and Draymond being so unique in who they are. It’s just a powerful formula.”

Yet Iguodala’s decision to come to the Bay was more complex than projecting an ascending team with dynastic potential. Even before age 30, he was exploring post-career options and perceived the region, with its massive tech sector, would offer investment and networking advantages beyond basketball.

“It was perfect timing,” Iguodala says. “We saw what Steph did. He and I spent a little bit of time together three years prior in the World Championships. And I got to play against Klay a lot in that series; we matched up. He was a young pup, so I beat him up a little bit. But I knew ‘he’s right there.’

“All those things came into play. It was perfect timing, on and off the court. But that atmosphere I just played in in that playoff series, I decided to be there 41 times a year.”

Iguodala is one of 42 players with at least four championship rings and one of 11 with at least four championships and a Finals MVP award. He becomes the seventh player in Warriors history to have his jersey retired, joining Rick Barry (24), Wilt Chamberlain (13), Nate Thurmond (42), Al Attles (16), Chris Mullin (17) and Tom Meschery (14).

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