Golden State Warriors great Andre Iguodala announces retirement from NBA career

SAN FRANCISCO – Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala announced his retirement from basketball on Friday, bringing the curtain down on a near two-decade National Basketball Association (NBA) career that included four championship rings.

The 39-year-old announced his decision to retire in an interview with the ESPN-owned Andscape website, stating that he wanted to spend more time with his family.

“It’s just the right time,” he was quoted as saying.

“Time started to get limited for me and I didn’t want to put anything in the back seat.

“I didn’t want to have to try to delegate time any more. Especially with on the court, off the court with family. A lot.

“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 was a member of four NBA Finals-winning Warriors teams in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.

Golden State saluted Iguodala following his retirement announcement, with team owner Joe Lacob saying the team planned to retire his No. 9 jersey.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr also hailed him as an “absolute winner”.

“Congratulations to Andre on concluding a spectacular Hall-of-Fame career,” he said in a statement.

“He was one of the most unique players I have ever been around, combining incredible instincts at both ends with elite athleticism and IQ. I was lucky to coach him.

“He’s also one of the main reasons we’ve got those four banners hanging up. He was a foundational piece of what has been one of the great runs in NBA history.”

Iguodala is best known for his series-changing contribution to the 2015 NBA Finals, when he was brought into the starting line-up in Game 4 with the Warriors trailing the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers 2-1.

He scored 22 points in a 103-82 victory that levelled the series.

The Warriors went on to win 4-2, with Iguodala named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player – the first time a player has won the accolade without starting in all games of the Finals.

Iguodala’s NBA career began in 2004, when he was chosen as the ninth overall pick in the draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He left the Sixers in 2012 to play in Denver for a season before joining Golden State in 2013, where he remained for six years.

He joined Miami in 2020 for a single season before returning to the Warriors in 2021, where he earned his fourth NBA championship in 2022.

Iguodala, who averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 1,231 games, also clinched a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics as part of a powerful American team and won the Fiba world championship in 2010 in Turkey. AFP, REUTERS