The Golden State Warriors have announced that the team will retire Andre Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey on Feb. 23 against the Dallas Mavericks. Iguodala, who won four NBA championships (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022) with the Warriors, will become just the seventh player in franchise history to see his jersey number hanging from the rafters, joining Alvin Attles, Rick Barry, Wilt Chamberlain, Tom Meschery, Chris Mullin and Nate Thurmond.
“Andre will go down as one of the smartest, shrewdest, and most unique and successful players ever to wear a Warriors uniform,” Warriors CEO Joe Lacob said in a statement. “We though all of that could be true when we acquired him in 2013, but in reality — four titles, six Finals appearances and a Finals MVP — exceeded even our wildest imaginations. He was the perfect player and person at the perfect time for our team, and the sacrifice he made coming off the bench in 2014 sent a message that he came here to help us do one thing: win. The proof is in the rafters, and his number belongs alongside the banners he helped us raise.”
Iguodala spent eight seasons of his 19-year NBA career with the Warriors, where he became the ultimate sixth man for a team that went on to become a dynasty, winning four championships in an eight-year stretch. When Iguodala was traded to Golden State ahead of the 2013-14 season from the Denver Nuggets, it was seen as a smart, valuable move for a team that was on the upswing after making it to the Western Conference semifinals a year prior.
Iguodala came in and immediately made an impact, primarily on the defensive side of the ball, and played a significant role in Golden State winning the first of its four titles in 2015. It was Iguodala’s insertion into the starting lineup over the last three Finals game in 2015 that was actually the catalyst for the Warriors winning, as they trailed the Cleveland Cavaliers in the series, 2-1, prior to Iguodala joining the starting five. He (somewhat controversially over Stephen Curry) earned Finals MVP that year because of the impact he had over those last three games on defense against LeBron James, while also averaging 20.3 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals during that span.
Iguodala remained a constant off the bench for the Warriors over two stints with the team, last appearing for them in the 2022-23 season. Over the eight years with the Warriors, Iguodala averaged 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He ranks in the top 10 on several postseason lists for the Warriors, including fourth in steals (122), fifth in made 3s (113), third in assists (383), fourth in games played (111) and fourth in minutes played (3,160). Iguodala is also one of just 11 players in NBA history to win four championships and a Finals MVP over their career, joining Stephen Curry, James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, John Havlicek, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Tony Parker.
Although Iguodala’s counting stats may not suggest he was all that impactful, he was an essential cog on both sides of the ball during Golden State’s dynasty days. His No. 9 jersey figures to someday be joined by Curry’s No. 30, Klay Thompson’s No. 11 and Draymond Green’s No. 23 in the Golden State rafters.
