While there is a chance that the Golden State Warriors could miss out on the NBA Playoffs entirely in 2025, the franchise will still have something to celebrate this season when they send retired forward Andre Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey up to the rafters on Sunday after their game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Iguodala spent eight of his 19 NBA seasons with Golden State, where he ultimately helped the team to four championship victories spanning from 2015-2022. Though he maintains an incredible resumé on the court and reputation as a consummate professional off of it, many have wondered if his career accolades will grant him a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
During a recent post-All-Star break press conference, Golden State’s head coach Steve Kerr was posited the question of how he thinks the Hall of Fame’s voting procedure should work and if Iguodala would be an appropriate candidate, to which he gave an insightful response.
“As far as Andre is concerned, he’s a classic case of, ‘numbers don’t always tell the story,” Kerr shared with reporters Thursday night.
“He was a pretty big scorer early in his career, but the points never defined his game. What defined his game was how good he was at everything.”
“Reading the game, rotations defensively, getting the ball to Steph (Curry) and Klay (Thompson) at the right time situationally. Being a lockdown defender, being a winner, four-time champion.”
“Andre is not your classic Hall of Fame candidate, but when you look at impact on winning, then he becomes a Hall of Fame candidate.”
After being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 9 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Iguodala developed into one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire NBA while also improving as a scorer and possessing freakish athleticism. He would make his lone All-Star Game appearance in 2012 during his final season with the franchise.
Iguodala then joined the Warriors as a free agent in 2014 after spending one season with the Denver Nuggets. Heading into the 2014-15 season, the veteran two-way force decided to willingly come in as the team’s sixth man, sacrificing his starting role for the benefit of the group.
Iguodala’s actions, along with Curry taking home league MVP honors, led Golden State to a 2015 NBA Finals victory where he’d capture the NBA Finals MVP award.
He then went on to help Golden State capture three more titles in 2017, 2018 and 2022, solidifying his legacy as one of the franchise’s most talented and beloved stars.
The box score numbers may not necessarily be his friend in the case of Hall of Fame voting, as the savvy veteran forward averaged 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals during his 452-game tenure with the Warriors.
On the other hand, his status as a four-time NBA champion, NBA Finals MVP, one-time All-Star, two-time All-Defensive Team selection and Olympic gold medalist could lead to his eventual nomination in the future.
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