Four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala retires after 19 seasons | ultragr

The 2015 NBA Finals MVP told Andscape on Friday morning that he is retiring from the NBA. In 19 seasons, Iguodala averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 1,231 games. The 2012 NBA All-Star said he turned down interest from the Warriors and several other teams before deciding to retire.

“It’s just the right time,” Iguodala, 39, told Andscape in a phone interview. “Time was getting tight for me and I didn’t want to put anything on the back seat. I didn’t want to try to delegate time anymore. Especially on the court, off the court with my family. A lot .

“You want to play at a high level. But family is a lot. My son is 16 and then two girls. So I’m (already) looking forward to seeing them grow up in those important years.”

The former University of Arizona star was the ninth overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft. The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder made his only NBA All-Star appearance with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012 and averaged a career-high 19.9 points with the franchise during the 2007-08 season.

The defensive-minded forward was also a three-time All-NBA Defensive Team selection and a two-time first-teamer. Iguodala was also a 2012 London Games gold medalist and 2010 USA Basketball World Champion. Iguodala also finished 39th in NBA history in total games played.

New Orleans Pelicans coach Willie Green, who played with Iguodala on the Sixers and coached him at Golden State, expressed his respect.

“He’s always been a mature young man and I’m proud to see what he’s accomplished in his career on the floor,” Green told Andscape. “Olympic gold medalist. Four-time NBA champion. But I’m even proud of him for what he is off the floor, (and) a devoted husband and father. (There are) a lot of friends he has in NBA circles, but even those young guys he took with himself and showed them how to be pros.

“…He was one of the best, most versatile players to ever play, he can play any position and he can guard any position. He really worked on his game because he wanted to be the best he could be. That’s why he’s going to end up in Golden State and he’s one of the pillars of that team winning championships and becoming a dynasty. You get a guy like Andre on your team and he changes things.”

Iguodala played for the 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. His biggest influence was the Warriors.

In July 2013, Iguodala turned down a five-year contract with the Nuggets to join the Warriors via a sign-and-trade on a four-year, $48 million contract. This turned out to be the best move of his career. He won NBA championships with the franchise in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. After leaving for Miami, Iguodala played the final two seasons of his career with the Warriors, playing in eight games last season. Warriors owner Joe Lacob said in 2019 that he planned to retire Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey after Iguodala retired.

“We won four championships; that’s unheard of,” Iguodala said. “There’s only a handful of teams that can say that. You’ve got the (Chicago) Bulls, (Los Angeles) Lakers, (Boston) Celtics, us and that’s it. No organization has been run like this. And I think it’s a testament to we believe in each other, we play the right way. The game played beautifully and it had perfect timing for me right where I was at my best. And things just happen the way they’re supposed to happen when they happen and you actually strengthen your faith. You just you trust someone else to say, ‘Let me play to the best of my ability based on the work I’ve put in and the focus that’s paid off. . .'”

The highlight of Iguodala’s NBA career came during the 2015 NBA Finals when he was named the Defensive MVP over Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James. James shot 38.1% from the field in those Finals when guarded by Iguodala, compared to 44% when guarded by other defenders. Iguodala also averaged 16.3 points, 4.0 assists and 5.8 rebounds in the six-game streak.

“That was pretty cool,” Iguodala said. “It was funny. (Then-Warriors general manager) Bob Myers was the one who gave me the news. It was one of those moments you never forget. I remember every moment it happened. But it’s always safe to say, if you just go out and do your job and what you’re supposed to do, things will happen the way they’re supposed to happen, you just have to believe that things will work out favorably as long as you have that faith.

“You see a lot in sports like guys going out there, making sure they get it, and sometimes that gets in the way of team success. It always does.”

Iguodala also influenced his NBA brothers by serving on the executive committee of the National Basketball Players Association from 2015 to 2023. Former NBPA president Chris Paul credited Iguodala, who most recently served as first vice president, for helping him navigate the challenges of the 2020 NBA bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida during the coronavirus pandemic.