Andre Iguodala announces retirement from NBA
Andre Iguodala was named Finals MVP after his efforts in the 2015 series vs. Cleveland.
Former NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala is retiring from the NBA. In a phone interview with Andscape, the four-time NBA champion said his playing days are done.
19 seasons. 4x NBA Champion.
A franchise forever changed when you came to The Bay. Thank you for everything, @andre pic.twitter.com/YvCci98R5q
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 20, 2023
‘Congratulations to Andre on concluding a spectacular Hall of Fame career. He was one of the most unique players I have ever been around, combining incredible instincts at both ends with elite athleticism and IQ. Just an absolute winner. I was lucky to coach him.’ – Steve Kerr pic.twitter.com/6E7rDtxnkC
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 20, 2023
“It’s just the right time,” Iguodala said. “Time started to get limited for me and I didn’t want to put anything in the back seat.
“You want to play at a high level. But then family is a lot. My son is 16 and then two girls. So, [I’m] looking forward to seeing them grow up in those important years.”
Iguodala played 19 seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Golden State Warriors (eight seasons) and Philadelphia 76ers (eight seasons). He spent two seasons with the Miami Heat (2019-21), a season with the Denver Nuggets (2012-13) and averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game overall in his NBA career.
He was an All-Star in 2012 and was an All-Defensive selection in 2010-11 and 2013-14. Perhaps his greatest career moment came in the 2015 NBA Finals. In that series, he earned MVP honors in large part for the defense he played against then-Cavaliers star LeBron James as Golden State topped Cleveland 4-2 in the series for the franchise’s first championship in 40 years.
Last season, Iguodala returned to Golden State after spending the two seasons before that with Miami. Iguodala played for the Warriors from 2013-19 as Golden State rose from playoff team to title contender to championship-winners in that window. He won four championships with Golden State.
He had a limited role for the Warriors, appearing in eight games while posting some of the lowest regular-season stats of his career (2.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.4 apg) and did not appear in a playoff game in 2023. However, his role as a veteran voice was valued by Golden State and he told Andscape he plans to stay in the Bay Area after retirement to pursue his many off-the-court business ventures.
Per the Warriors, owner Joe Lacob said that he looks forward to “raising No. 9 to the rafters at Chase Center at some point in the future.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
