SAN FRANCISCO — As Andre Iguodala moves around town in the Bay Area these days, he is regularly stopped by fans eager to praise him for how he carried himself while playing for the Golden State Warriors.
Some even share how his example influenced the way they raise their own kids — because that’s how much he has meant to big-time basketball both on the court and off it.
“I’m used to getting stopped a lot, but now it throws me off because I don’t play basketball anymore,” said Iguodala, 40. “You can see a good fan versus a bad fan from a mile away, and so I’m able to see, OK, this is a decent human being, and this is a genuine interaction. I think the folks that I’m running into in the Bay are of high value and morals, and so 99% are really good interactions.
“You walk away feeling a little bit better about yourself, actually, because you realize it’s bigger than you.”
The Warriors announced Tuesday that Iguodala will become the seventh player to have his number retired by the franchise — set to join Rick Barry (24), Wilt Chamberlain (13), Nate Thurmond (42), Al Attles (16), Chris Mullin (17), and Tom Meschery (14).
Golden State will honor Iguodala and hang his No. 9 jersey following an afternoon game against Dallas on Feb. 23, meaning former teammate Klay Thompson will have the chance to be there.
The 76ers made Iguodala the No. 9 overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft out of Arizona. He played in 1,231 career games. Iguodala spent eight seasons with the Sixers, one in Denver, six with the Warriors, two in Miami and the last two back with Golden State. He was part of the Warriors’ NBA champions in 2015, ‘17, ’18, and 2022.
“Andre will go down as one of the smartest, shrewdest and most unique and successful players ever to wear a Warriors uniform,” owner Joe Lacob said.
Iguodala retired in October 2023 after 19 NBA seasons. He won the NBA Finals MVP award in 2015. Shortly after announcing he was done playing, Iguodala became the acting executive director of the National Basketball Players Association.
A defensive stopper who took on a variety of roles, Iguodala not only mentored teammates at the end of his career but also provided insight to coach Steve Kerr.
It was Kerr who trusted Iguodala to perform on the big stage as the coach moved him into the starting lineup trailing 2-1 to the Cavaliers in the 2015 Finals and gave him the assignment of guarding then-Cleveland star LeBron James.
“A lot of those things go unnoticed,” the retired swingman said. “I constantly get stopped by folks and they say, ‘You know, you really helped me raise my children in terms of bringing a proper approach,’ to whatever it is that you do, respecting what you do, doing it at a high level, teamwork, discipline. Sacrifice is probably the biggest thing that they use in regards to me, with sometimes less is more, but knowing when to be ready for the big moments.”