Iguodala’s Return Signals Revitalization of Relationship With Curry
It was June 2, 2019, during the postgame of Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors had just defeated the Toronto Raptors 109-104, evening the series at a game apiece. Stephen Curry scored 23 points, and Andre Iguodala iced the win with a three-pointer in the final seconds. He hit the shot in spite of a left calf injury that he suffered during the Western Conference Finals and had seemingly reaggravated the prior game. Sitting in the locker room after the win, Iguodala was asked a simple question: what motivated him to play through the pain?
Never one to shy away from answering a question honestly, he told the truth.
“I like Steph,” Iguodala said. “That’s really the only reason why I like playing basketball. That’s the only reason why I play.”
It’s possible that Iguodala was exaggerating slightly when he claimed that Curry’s presence was “the only reason” he was playing, but the fact that Curry was on the front of his mind immediately following an intense win is a testament to the bond that the two share. And now that Iguodala has returned to the Warriors for what could be his final NBA season, he has a chance to revisit the admiration he developed for the Warriors’ star.
Iguodala’s love of Curry began even before they teamed up in Golden State. Most likely, it started during the 2013 playoffs, when Iguodala was a member of the Denver Nuggets. His squad faced the Warriors in the first round, and although he had a good series, it was Curry who garnered almost all of the attention. He averaged nearly 25 points and 10 assists per game while making over 44% of his threes and carried the Warriors to a six-game upset of the Nuggets. It was one of the first times that he’d excelled on a national stage during his professional career, and it got Iguodala’s attention. During a recent appearance on JJ Redick’s podcast, he recalled one moment in particular during Game 4 of that series that highlighted Curry’s confidence.
“He lets the ball go and turns around and tells [the Nuggets bench] to shut up,” Iguodala said, referring to a corner three that Curry made in the third quarter. “The ball is in, like, midair, it’s not even close to the rim, and the whole team went [quiet]. This is the opposing team, like, ‘Yo, I’ve never seen that before during a game.’”
Here’s the play, for those wondering.
— Tommy Gunn (@tgunn21) July 14, 2021
Game 4, 1st round, 2013 playoffs. https://t.co/EibJkiNllw pic.twitter.com/WtTWiIjktV
It was sometime around that moment that Iguodala, who was going to be a free agent during the 2013 offseason, decided he wanted to play for the Warriors. As the Nuggets began to make what is now believed to be an effort to injure Curry, Iguodala seemed to be uncomfortable with such tactics. Mark Jackson and George Karl, the Warriors and Nuggets head coaches in the series respectively, have both hinted that Iguodala informed Jackson of what the Nuggets were doing while the series was still going on. After game 5 of the series, Jackson would elaborate on what sort of “inside information” he was getting.
"They tried to send hit men [at Steph Curry]," then Warriors coach Jackson told reporters. "The screen on Curry by the foul line is a shot at his ankle, clearly, it can't be debated. I have inside information that some people don't like that brand of basketball and they clearly didn't co-sign it, so they wanted to let me know that they had no part in what was taking place."
After Iguodala joined the Warriors, he and Curry bonded quickly and were linked to one another throughout some of the team’s most iconic moments across five NBA Finals appearances and three championships. The image of the two kissing the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2015 remains instantly recognizable.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
In addition to that championship serving as the end of a 40-year title drought and the first of three in four years, it is also remembered as the year Iguodala won Finals MVP. Many people think that Curry should have won the award, but he truly didn’t care. During the trophy presentation in Cleveland, no one cheered louder for Iguodala than Curry did.
The support, unsurprisingly, is mutual, and perhaps even stronger the other way. Iguodala can constantly be found defending and supporting Curry through the internet and media appearances.
“I’ve never seen a guy that’s so humble and has such a good heart receive so much hate,” Iguodala said of Curry during a 2019 appearance on ESPN’s First Take. “What he’s done for the game of basketball, it’s incredible, and he’s going to continue to do it.”
Now that the two are reunited in Golden State, they have the opportunity to deepen their bond even further. Curry is looking forward to what Iguodala brings both on and off the court.
“He’s extremely motivated,” Curry said during a Warriors Summer League game on Wednesday. “He understands how we do things, he’s part of building our culture and our championship run. So, to have the balance of the presence he brings to our locker room, the veteran leadership — but also, he’s not just going to be on the bench, he’s going to be out there on the court contributing and doing things he’s used to doing. That’s what we’re excited about.”
Other than the Splash Brothers, Curry and Iguodala may be more supportive of one another than any two players have been during the Warriors’ recent history. Now they’ll be doing so on the same team once again, and that’s something to be excited about.