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After a summer of indecision about whether he would continue his basketball career or ride off into the sunset, it was a bike ride that helped Andre Iguodala reach his final decision.
The Golden State Warriors veteran announced on September 23 that he would be coming back to the team, playing his 19th NBA season while helping his team defend their fourth title in the last eight years. Iguodala had been on the fence about retirement, but said at the team’s media day that a ride on his Peloton helped solidify his choice.
Iguodala Returns to Warriors
Speaking to reporters on September 26, Iguodala revealed that his decision truly came down to the wire. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reiterated throughout the summer that the team was not rushing their veteran wing, giving him all the time he needed to decide while holding a roster spot for him if he decided to come back.
Iguodala said the answer came in the final week as he was doing some cardio work.
“I got on the Peloton two times last week and I was like, oh, I ain’t in that bad of shape,” he told reporters on September 26.
Iguodala may have been intentionally downplaying the amount of conditioning and preparation he did over the summer. Speaking to reporters just before training camp opened on Saturday, Kerr revealed that Iguodala had been working with the team’s training staff as he moved toward a decision.
“He’s been in here working out and kind of getting training staff to work with him and look at him and I think he’s getting a feel for what he wants to do, and we told him from the beginning, take as long as you want,” Kerr said.
Warriors Have Plan for Iguodala
Iguodala is coming off a season he described as frustrating. Even though he played an important role in the team’s title run, most of it was off the court as a mentor to the team’s younger players as he dealt with a series of injuries. Iguodala was limited to 31 regular-season games and was on the court for less than five total minutes in the NBA Finals, including the final minute of Game 6 as the Warriors put the finishing touches on a 13-point win and started to celebrate.
The team is coming up with a plan to keep Iguodala healthy in the coming season. As Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area reported, team trainer Rick Celebrini mapped out a plan for Iguodala, which the veteran said was a key part of his decision to return.
While his body may have been ready to play more basketball at age 38, Iguodala said it was still a tough process coming to his final decision. Iguodala said he received supportive messages from teammates Steph Curry and Draymond Green, but still wavered on his plans for the upcoming season.
“I had jumped back and forth like two times, and it’s literally exhausting to jump back and forth, like alright I’m in and then I worked out like two times and I was like ‘for what?’” he said.
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