Getty The Clippers could acquire Andre Iguodala just to prevent him from going to the Lakers.
Steph Curry seems more than happy to have his friend and former teammate back on the Golden State Warriors.
On Friday, free agent Andre Iguodala announced that he is returning to the Bay Area after a stint on the Miami Heat that included a trip to the NBA Finals. Jonathan Adams of the New York Times broke the news, quoting Iguodala who said it was his affinity for the Bay Area and Warriors fans that drew him back. It didn’t take long for his former teammate to issue a warm welcome.
Andre Iguodala tells @NYTSports that he is returning to the @warriors.
“The relationship with the fans, the relationship with the Bay, the opportunity to end it here, was just something special.”–@andre
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Splash Brother Welcomes Iguodala
Shortly after news of Iguodala’s return was released, Steph Curry took to Twitter to post a heartfelt video that highlighted the time they spent as teammates, showing the two celebrating NBA titles together.
Welcome back Pro!
Iguodala was a major part of Golden State’s five-year run to the NBA Finals, averaging 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals during his time with the Warriors. He snagged the NBA Finals MVP award in 2015, averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4 assists per game in a six-game win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 37-year-old still had some left in the tank with the Heat last season, holding down the sixth-man spot and averaging 4.4 points per game. His return will help a Warriors team that is strapped for cash and deep in the luxury tax, as Iguodala signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum.
Curry and Iguodala Share Bond
The former teammates remained close, even after Iguodala left Golden State two seasons ago. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported, Iguodala remained one of Curry’s closest friends and was a frequent golf partner.
Iguodala has had Curry’s back off the court has well. In an appearance on the “Beyond The Fairway Podcast,” Iguodala said he covered for the two-time league MVP in their fantasy golf league.
“OK, I don’t talk trash about Steph,” Iguodala told hosts Will Lowery and Doug Smith. “Steph is one of the few humans where it’s like I’m not a tough guy, I don’t find, but if somebody was about to mess with Steph they gonna catch these hands. Steph is my guy. But I paid Steph’s debt for where he placed last year in the fantasy league. Because Steph is in the fantasy league and most of the guys he doesn’t know, but they are kind of like my guys that I know that got me into the league.”
Breaking: Andre Iguodala has agreed to return to the Warriors, his agent Brandon Rosenthal confirmed to @wojespn.
As Slater noted, Iguodala’s return is more than just a symbolic move or goodwill gesture to Curry. The 37-year-old is expected to play a key role in the team’s rotation, and will also likely play an important mentoring role to the team’s young players.
“But he’s a genius passer, defender, cutter and basketball thinker,” Slater wrote. “Nobody in the world can operate in Steve Kerr’s system as smoothly as Iguodala. He will have his place in the rotation, and his locker room presence is even more important, mentoring Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, while helping Curry and Green maintain their sanity.”
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