Andre Iguodala might wear the number nine on the back of his Golden State Warriors jersey, but he’s used to being number two. Throughout his basketball career, Iguodala has always been “the sidekick” to a bigger, brighter star. When he attended Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois, Iguodala was “in the shadow” of Richard McBride. When he attended the University of Arizona, Iguodala deferred to Hassan Adams and Luke Walton. Lastly, when the Philadelphia 76ers selected Iguodala with the ninth pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, he immediately became the sidekick to the 76ers’ face of the franchise at the time, Allen Iverson.
For many up-and-coming basketball players, being a sidekick wouldn’t necessarily be the dream job. However, for a player like Iguodala, the role suits him. He’s always been a selfless player who makes the people around him better. He does this by contributing to a team in many different ways. He can pass, he can rebound, he can score when needed, and he can defend. He doesn’t need to be the star of a team. That’s always been his style, and that’s not going to change, no matter who he plays for or with.
In a recent Grantland article, Iguodala was compared to the all-time great, Scottie Pippen. Many basketball authorities weighed in on this comparison and expressed their utter respect for Iguodala’s game. For example, Steve Kerr knows both Pippen’s and Iguodala’s game since he is a former teammate of Pippen and an Arizona alumnus, just like Iguodala, and he agreed that Iguodala plays like a modern Pippen.
“Both guys are more natural passers than scorers,” he said. “They are both incredibly versatile defenders. Obviously, the athleticism is off the charts, and just the length. One of the reasons why Andre has become — and Scottie did become — distributors is that they weren’t great shooters. So when you’re not great at something, you figure out what you are really good at and you always work on your weaknesses.”
Mike Krzyzewski, who coached Iguodala in the 2010 FIBA World Championships and the 2012 Summer Olympics, also compared the two players.
“There’s a guy going into the Hall of Fame, Scottie Pippen, who did that to the highest level. Andre’s a little bit like him. I think Andre’s unique. He should celebrate his uniqueness.”
It’s quite an honor for Iguodala to be compared to such a great player, and it shows how well-respected his game is amongst his peers and around the NBA. People respect not just Iguodala’s game, but his character also. They see how selfless he is on and off the court. Tony DiLeo, then Philadelphia’s vice-president of basketball operations, praised Iguodala because he works hard, he plays hard, and he fights for his team.
Jonathan Abrams, the author of the Grantland article, described Iguodala’s selflessness and his demeanor on and off the court the best.
“He reaches his full potential when he’s doing the little things — always needed, but seldom noticed. It was Pippen’s blessing and his curse.”
Rob Pelinka, Iguodala’s agent, told a story in the Grantland article about how professional, dedicated, and mature Iguodala has always been. When Iguodala was interviewing agents after declaring for the NBA Draft, he asked Pelinka to meet with him at 6 a.m.
“I was thinking, ‘Yeah, right?'” Pelinka wrote in an email. “‘What college kid gets up at 5:30 a.m. in the morning to make a business meeting?’ When Dre showed up to Denny’s the next day at 6 a.m. sharp, I was blown away. I knew this was the exact type of person that I really wanted to be associated with.”
Iguodala has always possessed that drive and strong business sense that Pelinka mentioned. Iguodala claims to have gotten that quality from his mother, who taught him from a young age the value of a dollar and the value of saving money.
“I knew to save,” Iguodala said. “You’re always scared. I always felt like I don’t want to be a dumb, broke black man. I don’t want to be that. And when people see us, that’s what people see.”
Iguodala is so business savvy that part of the reason why he signed with the Warriors is so he could be in the Bay Area. He wanted to learn more about the tech industry and venture capital firms. During the NBA lockout a couple years ago, he even did an internship with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He shadowed a venture capitalist, and it was quite the eye-opening experience for him. When he retires from playing in the NBA, he wants to become a GM or a president of an NBA team.
Despite all these impressive qualities and the compliments he’s received, Iguodala still feels under-appreciated.
“I still think that my game isn’t respected,” Iguodala said later. “So when they say I need you — and I’m not being arrogant — I think y’all need me more than you think you do. And I’ll show you. I just can’t wait to show it, even if they won’t be able to see it.'”
Iguodala doesn’t say this cockily. He understands his past of being the sidekick, and he accepts it. He believes that he has much more to prove though. Warriors fans have already seen what kind of impact he can have on a team. He’s proven to be the perfect complement to Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and the rest of the Warriors.
Although he plays the role of sidekick on this Warriors team, he’s fine with that. He’s just wants to win, and he’s willing to contribute in any way to make that happen. Iguodala is able to be himself on the Warriors. It seems as if the selfless sidekick has finally found a home.
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