Andre Iguodala will have his jersey retired by the Warriors on Feb. 23 against the Mavericks. Will a Hall of Fame invite be next?
Iguodala will be eligible for that honor in 2027. He doesn’t have the traditional resume as far as career statistics go. Basketball-Reference’s model puts him at only a 12.7 percent chance of getting in.
Iguodala’s play went way beyond the numbers, though, so it’s fitting that he will have to fight against the lack of career accolades in order to gain entry to the Hall of Fame. He only made one All-Star game, and he was never named to an All-NBA team. That doesn’t come close to most other entrants, but there are many compelling reasons why he should get in anyway.
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Andre Iguodala is a Hall of Fame player
Andre Iguodala sacrificed stats for winning
The first bullet point on Iguodala’s candidacy has to be his four rings with the Warriors. He was incredibly impactful during those first three championships, guarding LeBron James well enough to earn Finals MVP honors in 2015 over more talented teammates.
That Finals MVP recognition was the exception rather than the norm for Iguodala. He was a good scorer, averaging 19.9 points during his best offensive season early in his career with the Sixers. He was willing to put that scoring to the side with the Warriors, averaging only 6.9 points per game over his eight seasons there.
Iguodala started every game over the first 10 years of his career. He was the best player on the Sixers before gracefully moving over to the bench during the Warriors’ first championship run. That helped to solidify their “strength in numbers” approach. He was the premier glue guy in the league for some of the best teams in NBA history.
Iguodala never won the Sixth Man of the Year award in exchange for that sacrifice. He finished runner-up twice to one-way scorers in Jamal Crawford and Eric Gordon.
The balance of his game, playing both sides of the ball and making players around him better with his extremely high feel, was tough to see on a nightly basis. But looking back at the totality of his time with the Warriors, they wouldn’t have won all of those championships without him. He simply made his teams much better by doing whatever was needed of him on any given night.
Andre Iguodala was an elite defender
The one area of Iguodala’s game where he did receive some recognition was in his defense. He was named twice to the All-Defensive team and earned Defensive Player of the Year votes in eight of his 19 seasons.
Iguodala was a great individual defender, capable of locking down all sorts of assignments. His crowning achievement came in the 2015 Finals against LeBron, holding him to just 38.1 percent from the field when he was the primary defender.
As good as Iguodala was on the ball, he might have been even better as a help defender. His instincts were second to none, and he had lightning-quick hands that he used to get a ton of steals. His timing when swiping down at the ball might be the best in league history.
Iguodala had the rare combination of tools, effort, and feel. He had a 6-foot-11 wingspan, great strength, athleticism, and textbook technique that made him one of the best wing defenders in NBA history.
Andre Iguodala was a winner at all levels
Iguodala accomplished enough over his 19 years in the NBA to get the Hall of Fame nod. When you add in his international play, which is considered for all entrants, he should be a shoo-in.
Iguodala was part of the 2010 FIBA World Cup team that won Gold. He was also a member of the 2012 Olympic team that won Gold in London. During that summer, he shot a team-high 70 percent from the field off Team USA’s bench.
Iguodala was also active as a leader for the players, servicing as the vice president for the NBPA. He was well-respected and liked throughout his NBA career, handling whatever was thrown in his direction.
Iguodala’s candidacy most closely resembles that of Michael Cooper, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024. Cooper was also an excellent defender and won five championships with the Lakers.
Iguodala didn’t win as many rings as Cooper, but he was a better scorer, played for much longer and had more international success. The Hall has done well in recognizing more defense-oriented players like Cooper, Ben Wallace and Dennis Rodman. Iguodala was the best wing defender of his generation, and he should get the nod too.
