Earlier today, Andre Iguodala officially announced on his podcast that he will renew his contract with the Golden State Warriors for a year. In addition, by next summer, “One Brother” has been determined to retire and end his 19-year basketball career.
Unlike the Warriors’ Big Three – Curry, Klay and Dream Chaser, Iguodala is not a player selected by Golden State and cultivated little by little. Before joining the Warriors at the age of 30, “One Brother” played for the 76ers and the Nuggets. During this period, he was selected to the All-Star team and won the London Olympic gold medal with the US men’s basketball team. But in the NBA arena, “One Brother” has not achieved any decent achievements.
Time came to 2013, when Iguodala played for the Nuggets and the Warriors in the playoffs in a classic confrontation of “track and field team VS shooting team”. In that round, the Nuggets became the loser 2-4, but the “first brother” in Denver was convinced by the Warriors’ smooth offensive system. It was also in that round of the series that “One Brother” created the famous undercover incident. He refused to implement the then Nuggets coach George Karl’s defensive strategy against Curry and avoided injury to Curry. He even reminded Curry to be careful of other people’s malicious defenses in the game… All this Iguodala did also laid the foundation for him to join the Warriors in the future.
In the summer of 2013, Iguodala joined the Warriors with a four-year, 48 million contract. At that time, his approach was regarded as a defect by many Nuggets fans. But later facts proved what a smart decision Iguodala made. From the second season of joining the Warriors, “One Brother” accepted a new role in the team and became the Warriors’ backup. It was also in that year that the sacrifice of the “first brother” and the maturity of the three giants of the warriors opened the prelude to the Golden State Dynasty.
A striking fact, since Iguodala joined the Warriors, he has never averaged more than 10 points per game in a season. But people will not forget the Warriors’ championship in 2015, how important the “first brother” played. In that finals, he averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. On the offensive end, the first brother’s three-point shooting rate reached 40%; on the defensive end, he also caused huge trouble for James. It was still in that finals, when the Warriors abandoned the center and let the “first brother” appear in the decisive lineup, for the first time, people were able to appreciate the power of the so-called “Five Little Deaths”.
The finals that year was also a series of matches that marked Iguodala’s historical status. On the night the Warriors won the championship, “Brother One” unexpectedly beat Curry to win the Finals MVP, becoming the first Finals MVP in history to serve as a substitute in the regular season. Although there are still many controversies about this award, it has also become the highlight of “One Brother”‘s entire basketball career.
Of course, in addition to the unexpected joy of FMVP, Iguodala also enjoyed enough championship glory during his time with the Warriors. He loves this team and likes the feeling of playing life here. Relying on the advantages of the Warriors backing Silicon Valley, he also became a He became a successful investor outside the basketball court, and when he returned to the court, he became more and more ignorant of his role and was willing to make any sacrifices for the team that could not be reflected in the statistics.
In 2019, Iguodala briefly left the Warriors due to Durant’s trade and departure. But then, whether in the Grizzlies or the Heat, he couldn’t get back the euphoria he had with the Warriors. He even offended the players, coaches, fans and the management of the Grizzlies because he didn’t want to play in the young Grizzlies.
After several twists and turns, Iguodala finally returned to the Warriors in the summer of 2021, and just one year later, he won the fourth championship ring of his career with the team. But “One Brother” has not won enough. Now he has signed a new contract with the Warriors, which is also the last contract of his career. Of course, he hopes to end his basketball journey with a more perfect ending.
Iguodala, who was born in 1984, is about to celebrate his 39th birthday in January next year. Frankly speaking, in actual combat, he has not been able to give the Warriors much help. However, the status of “One Brother” in the locker room will not be weakened by his aging. In the long journey of defending the title, the Warriors need this spiritual leader to stand up from time to time and inspire the team’s fighting spirit with moving speeches.
When the young people in the team encounter psychological and physical difficulties, the “first brother” is also the ideal mentor to help them out. Although the identity of “first brother” is still a player, during the season, his role may be more like an assistant to coach Steve Kerr. It was his inspiration and coaching that unleashed the potential in Wiggins and Jordan Poole last season. And in the future, he can also provide similar help to young Wiseman, Cuminga and even younger rookies.
Finally, Iguodala’s return also once again interprets the value of “loyalty”. On the one hand, he is loyal to the Warriors and is willing to give the last strength of his career to the Warriors; on the other hand, this summer, the Warriors have been waiting for Iguodala. For this reason, they gave up many good opportunities to sign and strengthen, It also turned down other veterans such as Carmelo Anthony for jobs. This two-way loyalty is undoubtedly a strong glue for the Warriors’ new season, and may also serve as an excellent example for the decisions of some young players in the future… (Poirot)Return to Sohu, see more
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