The Golden State Warriors have announced their intent to retire the number of longtime star player Andre Iguodala, who has been traded to Memphis after six seasons in Oakland. The news comes after the organization announced the retirement of Kevin Durant’s jersey, following his recent move to Brooklyn.
Warriors Co-Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob said in a statement, “During the summer of 2013, we went through an extensive free agency process in our efforts to sign Andre Iguodala. At that time, we envisioned him becoming a vital part of a young, up-and-coming team with championship aspirations. As we look back six years later, we actually underestimated what his value would be to our team, both on the court and in the locker room.”
The statement continues, “In what has been well-documented, Andre sacrificed for the betterment of our team and, in one of the best stories of this journey, earned NBA Finals MVP honors in 2015. He has been absolutely vital to our success during five consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals and three championships. We thank Andre for all of his contributions and look forward to seeing his number in the rafters at Chase Center.”
Iguodala helped Golden State reach five straight NBA Finals and win titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018. During his tenure with Golden State, Iguodala appeared in 413 regular season matchups, averaging 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
In regards to KD, Lacob suggested Kevin Durant’s jersey would also be retired shortly after the baller announced he would be taking his talents to the Nets. Lacob stated, “As long as I am Co-Chairman of this team, no player will ever wear #35 for the Warriors again.”
