Kerr sees swingman as a Hall of Famer
The quote came toward the beginning of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr’s lengthy response Tuesday night to a question about Andre Iguodala’s penchant for clutch performances: “He’s probably a future Hall of Famer.”
Within minutes, that sevenword sound bite rippled through social media, prompting some to shoot down Kerr’s suggestion that Iguodala belongs in the shrine, located in Springfield, Mass. That someone who is more role player than superstar could be considered for such an honor may have seemed a bit farfetched.
This is a player who has never made an All-NBA team, has only once been an AllStar, and owns relatively modest career averages of 12.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists. A closer look at Iguodala’s resume, however, reveals
that he has a more compelling case for the Hall of Fame than most probably realize.
“He’s a Finals MVP, AllStar, Olympian,” Kerr said. “There’s really not anything else you can do in this sport. So, Andre is a great player.”
In July 2013, when Iguodala joined Golden State, he was one of 12 players to average at least 15 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals over the course of his first nine NBA seasons. Nine players on that list are now Hall of Famers, one is a future Hall of Famer (Russell Westbrook) and one is Steve Francis.
Iguodala’s stats have understandably dipped playing alongside the Warriors’ cast of All-Stars, but his five years in
Oakland have cemented his legacy as one of the most revered role players in NBA history.
That he moved to the bench before the 2014-15 season without complaint was a key moment in Golden State’s rise to a championship. A plusminus master, Iguodala is a stabilizing force who finds open teammates, guards the opponent’s top scorer and seldom makes mistakes.
Outside of Iguodala, there are only two former NBA Finals MVPs who aren’t in the Hall of Fame or are surefire future inductees: Chauncey Billups and Cedric Maxwell.
At 34 years old, Iguodala could still add multiple NBA titles to the Larry O’Brien trophies he hoisted in 2015 and 2017. More impressive is the fact that Iguodala, who signed a three-year, $48 million deal with the Warriors last summer, is on track to join Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to notch 12,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 4,500 assists, 1,500 steals, 500 blocks and 1,000 three-pointers.
“It’s great to coach Andre because he’s not only a fantastic player, but a great team guy,” Kerr said. “He just wants to win, doesn’t care about numbers. He’s been absolutely brilliant for us in this postseason.”