SAN FRANCISCO — It speaks to Andre Iguodala’s versatility — both on and off the court — that Steve Kerr’s fondest memory of the recently retired forward whom he coached for seven seasons has little to do with basketball.
As the buzzer sounded on the first championship of the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty back in 2014-15 — just minutes before Iguodala would be named NBA Finals MVP — he grabbed the ball, ran to Kerr and said, triumphantly: “We’re going to Augusta!”
An avid golfer, Iguodala had been promised that if the Warriors won the title, he would be able to play on the same course where The Masters takes place.
There are those who march to the beat of their own drum. Iguodala marches to the vibrations of an electric mandolin.
On Friday evening, hours after Iguodala officially announced his retirement, Kerr showered the 19-year veteran with the most effusive praise — unequivocally crediting him for starting the Warriors’ run of four titles in eight seasons. But it wasn’t only Iguodala’s phenomenal play that reverberates to this day in Kerr’s heartstrings. It was also his willing sacrifice to come off the bench in his second season with Golden State, after starting every game the previous season for Mark Jackson, and just three years removed from being named an All-Star with the 76ers.
“He was a foundational piece of what has been one of the great runs in NBA history,” Kerr said of Iguodala prior to the Warriors’ preseason finale against the Spurs on Friday. “In many ways, Andre set the tone for the whole thing by agreeing to come off the bench in 2014-15 — really sacrificing and making the move that unlocked the team, that allowed Harrison [Barnes] to thrive, that strengthened our bench, but also set a time for unselfishness, and team-first mentality.”
Iguodala’s acceptance of his role gave Kerr a stabilizer in the second unit, a willing passer, a Swiss Army knife defender capable of guarding any player — a “babysitter” who knew that the team’s best chance of winning was to find ways to get the ball into the hands of…
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