Due to his wife, a significant Golden State Warriors player has formally announced his retirement.
SAN FRANCISCO: Andre Iguodala, a forward for the Golden State Warriors, announced his retirement from basketball on Friday, capping a nearly two-decade career that included four championship rings.
In an interview with the ESPN-owned Andscape website, the 39-year-old revealed his decision to retire, saying he wished to spend more time with his family.
It was reported that he stated, “It’s just the right time.”
My time was running out, and I didn’t want to put anything on the back burner.
“I wanted to be free of having to manage time allocation any longer. In particular, both on and off the court with family. A great deal.
“You wish to compete at a top level. Family, though, is a lot. After two girls, my 16-year-old son. I’m excited to watch them mature during those formative years.
Iguodala played for the Warriors in four NBA Finals championships: 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022.
After Iguodala announced his retirement, Golden State honored him, and team owner Joe Lacob stated the team would retire Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey.
Steve Kerr, the coach of the Warriors, also praised him as a “complete winner.”
He released a statement saying, “Congratulations to Andre on concluding a spectacular Hall-of-Fame career.”
“He was one of the most unusual players I have ever seen; he combined amazing athleticism and intelligence with outstanding instincts on both ends. It was an honor to mentor him.
He’s also largely responsible for the four banners that are currently hanging. He served as a cornerstone for one of the greatest runs in NBA history.
Iguodala is most remembered for his series-altering performance in the 2015 NBA Finals, when, with the Warriors down 2-1 against the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers, he entered the game as a starter in Game 4.
In a 103-82 victory that leveled the series, he scored 22 points.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC
Following their 2-0 victory in the NBA Playoffs, the Sacramento Kings pose a threat to the Golden State Warriors, whose general manager Bob Myers resigned in June.
Iguodala was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, the first player to win the award without starting every game in the Finals, as the Warriors went on to win 4-2.
Iguodala’s NBA career got underway in 2004 when the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the ninth overall pick in the draft. After spending a season playing in Denver after leaving the Sixers in 2012, he moved to Golden State in 2013 and stayed there for six years.
After spending one season in Miami in 2020, he returned to the Warriors in 2021, where he won his fourth NBA championship the following year in 2022.
In addition to winning the Fiba world championship in 2010 in Turkey and winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics as a member of a potent American team, Iguodala averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 1,231 games. Reuters and AFP
