Andre Iguodala is retiring from the NBA after a brilliant career. The 39-year-old talked to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about his decision.
“It’s just the right time,” Iguodala said. “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 anymore. 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 played in only eight games for the Golden State Warriors last season. The small forward won four titles with the Warriors and was named the 2015 Finals MVP.
“We won four championships, that’s kind of unheard of,” Iguodala said. “There are only a handful of teams that can say that. You got the [Chicago] Bulls, the [Los Angeles] Lakers, [Boston]Celtics, us, and that’s it. No organization has been run like this. And I think it’s a testament to us believing in each other, playing the right way. The game was played beautifully and had perfect timing for me right there in my prime.”
Iguodala averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks during his career. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Warriors and Miami Heat. Iguodala made one All-Star team and two All-Defensive teams.
“I know I can still play, but the body can only take so much of what the body can take,” Iguodala said. “And then just the lane that I’ve been able to open up with [business partner] Rudy [Cline-Thomas] and what we’ve been able to build off the court, I felt like it was a good time. The timing is right for that.”
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