Joe Lacob Reveals Decision On Retiring Andre Iguodala’s No. 9 Jersey

Andre Iguodala wasn’t a star player in the Golden State, but the team was happy with him being an excellent role player. Moreover, Iguodala was one of the best role players in the NBA. He was well aware of his role in the Warriors squad, and was a leader on and off the floor.

Iguodala is no longer a member of the Warriors family as he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. However, the Warriors will never forget the former Finals MVP, and even rewarded him for his service.

Andre, thank you ? pic.twitter.com/YTLF97fxwP

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 7, 2019

The Warriors will retire Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey, and they confirmed the decision after he was officially traded away on July 6. The organization will also trade Kevin Durant’s No. 35.

Golden State Warriors‘ Joe Lacob says the franchise intends to retire Andre Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey, in statement thanking Iguodala.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2019

Iguodala won three titles with the Warriors, and was named the 2015 NBA Finals MVP. The Lakers signed him in 2013. In his time with the Warriors, Iguodala played in 413 regular season games and 104 playoff games. The player averaged 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and shot at a 48.5% clip from the field.

He had words of praise for his teammates, and pretty much every great player in the league, including LeBron James.

“You got to respect what he’s done throughout his whole career,” Iggy said on ESPN’s First Take. “Talk about living up to expectations and exceeding expectations from a high school kid. That’s just an amazing achievement in itself. He was deemed the second-greatest basketball player of all time in high school. How many of those guys fizzle out?”

Iguodala was among the first to defend Stephen Curry when critics slammed him.

“I’ve never seen a guy that’s so humble and has such a great heart receive so much hate,” Iggy said. “We feel it from the media. He’s carrying a whole shoe brand. He’s got his own media company now. He’s doing so many great things.”

“I like Steph,” Iguodala said in another interviews. “He’s a good dude, good guy to be around. That’s really the only reason why I like playing basketball. That’s the only reason why I play.”

He couldn’t keep calm and ignore the criticism Curry received.

“I’ve never seen it in a person, such a good person ever get some backlash or whatever from his peers because they’re so jealous of what he has. So, just kind of sticking it to them,” Iguodala said. “Whatever it takes to protect his legacy, I’m all for it.”