Getty Allen Iverson
After former Philadelphia 76ers star Andre Iguodala announced his retirement from the NBA, Sixers legend Allen Iverson took to his personal Instagram, “theofficialai3,” to pay tribute to his former Sixers teammate.
“Congratulations lil bro! So proud of you. Anybody thats ever been around you knows how brilliant you are, so after retirement I know you’ll do great things. Hoop wise next stop Hall of Fame!”
After Iguodala was drafted by the Sixers in 2004, he and Iverson were teammates from then until 2006. Coincidentally, the Sixers traded both of them to the Denver Nuggets, though Iverson was traded to the Nuggets in 2006, while Iguodala was traded there in 2013. Iverson and Iguodala were briefly reunited as teammates during the 2009-10 season before Iverson himself retired from the NBA the following year.
Their time as teammates wasn’t long, but Iverson thinks highly of his former Sixers teammate to this day. By the time Iguodala arrived, the Iverson-led Sixers had already peaked and were on their last legs, but the duo made some fantastic highlights together.
Pelicans Coach Willie Green Sings Andre Iguodala’s Praises
New Orleans Pelicans coach Willie Green was also on the Sixers when Iguodala entered the NBA in 2004, having begun his career the year before. After Iguodala announced his retirement, Green praised his former teammate for his accomplishments both on and off the court while talking with Andscape’s Marc Spears.
“He’s always been a mature young man, and I’m proud to see what he’s done in his career on the floor,” Green told Spears in an October 20 story. “An Olympic gold medalist. A four-time NBA champion. But I’m even proud of him for who he is off the floor, [a] devoted husband and father. [There are] a ton of friends that he has in the NBA circles. But even the young guys, he would take the young guys and show ’em how to be pros …
“He was one of the best, most versatile players to ever play, can play any position and can guard any position. He really worked on his game because he wanted to be the best that he could. That is a reason why he ends up in Golden State, and he’s one of the pillars of that team winning championships and becoming a dynasty. You get a guy like Andre on your team and he changes things.”
Green played with Iguodala on the Sixers from 2004 to 2010.
Evan Turner Pays Tribute to Andre Iguodala
After Iguodala announced his retirement, former Sixers teammate Evan Turner took to Instagram to pay tribute to his former teammate.
“4x NBA Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 3x All Defense, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist. Last but not least, he’s A REAL ONE! HOLLA, IGUODALA!”
Turner and Iguodala are former Sixers teammates, as they played together from 2010 to 2012. They also co-host a podcast together called “Point Forward.” From a health standpoint, Iguodala explained on their podcast why he elected to retire.
On Episode 1 of @PointForward podcast, 4x NBA Champion and Finals MVP Andre Iguodala officially retires!
@andre explains why it was time for him to call it a career.
“That stuff hurts,” Iguodala said. “I think people don’t realize like what your body goes through. Even the people closest to you. They don’t even realize what our bodies are going through. Like, we be in pain, and they just look at us like, ‘He always hurt, or you always soar,’ or something always. And it’s like, nah, I need a new hip. I need two new knees. I need new wrists now.”
Iguodala certainly knows how that feels since he played 19 years in the NBA. His longevity in the league is among the longest all-time among NBA players.