Iguodala doesn’t want credit for being Warriors leader
OAKLAND, Calif. — Andre Iguodala wants nothing to do with this conversation, not if it has to do with giving him any credit at all. For a single thing. No, thanks. Even if assistant coach Mike Brown applauds Iguodala for all of his thoughtful conversations and serving as a sounding board when Brown guided the champion Warriors through much of the postseason as Steve Kerr was ailing.
“That’s why he got fired in Cleveland and LA, ‘cuz no one can trust him,” Iguodala said so matter-of-factly of Brown. “I didn’t ever say nothing to him, no. We never had any conversations.”
That’s the impossible-toread Iggy for you. Yet so reliable at the same time.
Then, without prompting while sitting at his locker after a preseason loss to Denver, he goes into recalling a lesson he took from that same day.
“We had a sermon in chapel today, earlier before the game, and it was talking about integrity. You can be honest but don’t have integrity, but what does it mean to be a leader?” Iguodala said. “We were just saying you lead by example, without wanting any credit for it. So I don’t want no credit for it.
“True story. But as a true leader, I can’t even say those words. I’m not allowed to even say that. I can’t say I’m a leader. I gotta say I try to do what’s best for the team.”
Then, he added: “Mike Brown’s my guy, yeah. You gotta look out for one another, that’s all.”
Got this Golden State star figured out yet?
The Warriors could have lost him this offseason because Iguodala was wanted just about everywhere, yet ultimately opted to stay put.
Sometimes, his dry sense of humor can be tricky to navigate — that deadpan wit an acquired taste. Yet ask anybody around Iguodala about how much he means both behind the scenes and on the court and they insist it’s immeasurable. This is the player whom Kerr asked to come off the bench before the 2014-15 title run and who he still appreciates so much to this day for his selflessness.
In July two years ago, after the franchise’s first championship in 40 years, Iguodala had a little fun on Twitter when Kerr noted the defensive stopper would likely be a super sub again.
“Then trade me,” Iguodala posted, before saying a minute
later: “Ha! Got eeeeem! Yall know I’m playing.”
The 2015 NBA Finals MVP considered joining Houston and others this summer before he ultimately came back for what everybody is counting on being another deep postseason run to chase a second straight title, receiving a $48 million, three-year contract.
Brown isn’t sure Iguodala realizes how much he meant last spring, to which Kerr said with a smile, “Maybe Mike should tell him.”
“It doesn’t surprise me. That’s who Andre is,” Kerr said. “Andre’s one of our captains. He’s one of our true leaders. He brings it every day in practice, he’s one of the smartest players I’ve been around. He’s the guy who made the initial sacrifice in terms of coming off the bench. Andre, he’s irreplaceable for what he brings to us in so many different ways.”