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Ohm Youngmisuk
The Golden State Warriors announced they will retire Andre Iguodala‘s No. 9 jersey on Feb. 23 when they host the Dallas Mavericks.
Iguodala is just the seventh Warriors legend to have his jersey raised to the rafters at Chase Center. Iguodala joins Wilt Chamberlain (No. 16), Chris Mullin (No. 17), Nate Thurmond (No. 42), Alvin Attles (No. 16), Rick Barry (No. 24), and Tom Meschery (No. 14).
Iguodala becomes the first Warrior from the four-championship Golden State dynasty core to be honored with the jersey gesture. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will certainly join Iguodala once they retire.
“Without those guys, I wouldn’t be in this position,” said Iguodala, who retired in October 2023. “I think they understand how important I was. But obviously Steph, Klay and Draymond, just being so unique in who they are, it’s just a powerful formula. It would be really hard to duplicate.”
Iguodala helped Golden State win titles in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. It seems appropriate that Iguodala will have his jersey raised when Thompson returns to face his old team again. Iguodala helped the Warriors’ Big Three reach six NBA Finals in his eight seasons with the club, including five straight. The 6-foot-6 swingman won Finals MVP in 2015, averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the six-game Finals win. He was inserted into the starting lineup after Golden State trailed 2-1 in the series to Cleveland Cavaliers and the Warriors won three straight games.
He averaged 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 26.0 minutes over eight seasons (2013-19, 2021-23).
“Andre will go down as one of the smartest, shrewdest and most unique and successful players ever to wear a Warriors uniform,” Joe Lacob, Warriors co-executive chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “We thought all of that could be true when we acquired him in 2013, but the reality — four titles, six Finals appearances, 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 in 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 is one of only 11 players to win four NBA championships and an NBA Finals MVP, joining Curry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, John Havlicek and Tony Parker.