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The body no longer feels as hurt. The frustration no longer feels as strong.
Yes, Andre Iguodala could still use the rest of this summer to heal his 35-year-old body and maximize his sleep. He also still cannot help but wonder if the Warriors would’ve beaten the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals if not for debilitating injuries to Kevin Durant (right Achilles) and Klay Thompson (torn ACL in left knee).
“Even losing Klay and KD, we were one possession away from going to a Game 7. And anything can happen in the Finals,” Iguodala said in wide-ranging interview with Bay Area News Group. “That’s not even taken into consideration enough.”
And yet, Iguodala still seemed at peace on Wednesday. The reasons went beyond promoting his newly released memoir, “The Sixth Man.” Or that he will participate in The Players’ Technology Summit on Thursday in San Francisco. Iguodala also sounded optimistic about the Warriors’ uncertain future.
One, Iguodala downplayed concerns about Durant and Thompson. Durant opted out of his $31.5 million player option on Wednesday to become an unrestricted free agent. He could sign a five-year, $221 million deal to stay with the Warriors, but he might find it enticing to a agree to a four-year, $164 million deal with the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets or Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors and Thompson expect to keep their partnership since the Warriors plan to give Thompson a max-contract worth around $190 million for the next five seasons. Regardless of Durant’s uncertain future, he is expected to miss at least next season because of his surgically repaired right Achilles tendon. Despite Thompson’s expected return with the Warriors, he will likely sit out a significant chunk to heal his left knee.
“I feel positive vibes with them. That’s a given,” Iguodala said. “When we’re communicating, it’s not just on a teammate level. It’s on a friendship level and making sure we’re all good in a good place. I got good vibes with the guys.”
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And since Iguodala senses good vibes with both their recovery and long-term future with the Warriors, he does foresee the Warriors entering a rebuilding stage. And why would he? The Warriors still have Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Iguodala. If Iguodala’s optimism holds true, both Durant and Thompson will remain in a Warriors uniform. And there is an outside chance DeMarcus Cousins could accept the Warriors’ one-year, $6.3 million deal. The Warriors were fairly close, after all, in locking up their fourth NBA title in the past five years. Three out of five does not seem bad either.
“I have really good conversations with everyone on our team. We’re feeling really positive for next year. We’re looking at all the guys and talking to Klay and talking to KD and making sure their spirits are good,” Iguodala said. “We truly feel like the run is still going. We’re taking this time that this run is getting the best of us right now, but we’ll be back.”
How the Warriors thrive next season does not just hinge on Curry, Green and the pending free agency to their other three All-Stars. It also depends on Iguodala, who described his health as “pretty good” after dealing with overlapping ailments to his left calf during the NBA playoffs. Iguodala also enters the final year of his contract worth $17.2 million.
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The Warriors are expected to negotiate a buyout with Shaun Livingston since only $2 million of his $7.7 million of his contract is guaranteed next season. Livingston has also strongly hinted he will retire to cap off a 15-year NBA career. How Iguodala’s future pans out seems uncertain.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr could use Iguodala’s unmatched playmaking, defensive versatility and team-oriented leadership either through a playoff run or rebuilding season. Or Warriors general manager Bob Myers might consider it more useful to collect assets on an expiring contract.
“I’m confident I’ll be back. If not, there are no hard feelings,” Iguodala said. “You want nothing but the best, especially with the way I feel with Steph. Wherever Steph is at, I want him to do well. You know how I feel about Steph.”
After he made a 3 with 5.9 seconds to ensure a Game 2 win in Toronto, Iguodala shared that his motivation does not point to collecting rings and paychecks. Iguodala said that Curry is “the only reason I like playing basketball.” Iguodala added that “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect his legacy.”
It does not appear Iguodala needs to do much to protect his legacy. In 2013, he became the first marquee free agent to join the Warriors to complement Curry, Thompson and Green. After varying starting and reserve roles with grace, Iguodala won the 2015 NBA Finals MVP award for his defense and playmaking. In the past three years, the Warriors have preserved Iguodala during the regular season, knowing that he would offer a new and improved version of himself in the playoffs. After having a non-invasive procedure last summer on his left knee, Iguodala had a career low this season in points (5.7) and playing time (23.2). Yet, Iguodala shot 50 percent from the field in what marked his second highest efficient season of his 15-year NBA career.
“Whatever decisions are made going forward, you have to respect as a player that this is a business and it’s about what is most important for the team. That is just a given,” Iguodala said. With me, sometimes numbers don’t tell the true story. But Steve understands it and Bob understands it. We’ve always been on the same page.”
Hence, Iguodala’s ongoing dialogue with both his Warriors’ current teammates and their pending free agents. Iguodala said “you try to have a right balance” on to what extent he has tried to sell Durant on re-signing with the team or leaving him space. Iguodala mostly has tried to have normal conversations about Durant’s life, while stressing his support regardless of his future.
“I just hope all the guys are in a good mental space going forward with all the decisions,” Iguodala said. “At the end of the day, just enjoy life and enjoy basketball and try to be at peace with whatever decision they make. They’re my guys, regardless of what happens.”
In his memoir, Iguodala addresses the tricky balance and potential double standards NBA players face with maximizing their basketball and business interests. As Iguodala noted, “the negativity is out there for a guy who leaves somewhere and goes to another team that has success.” His book does not just touch on sports, though. It touches on his life, including how he dealt with racial prejudices.
Iguodala recalled as a seventh grader taking what he called “higher track classes” with predominately white classmates. He shared that an English teacher expressed skepticism Iguodala was attending the correct class, and even asked for his schedule. After experiencing relentless teasing through the first month of the school year from his teacher, Iguodala noted that he “soon became her favorite student” because she eventually considered him “the best writer in the class.”
“I still get it to this day. They say you’re a basketball player. So the people approach you a certain way. They don’t approach you at a certain intellectual level,” said Iguodala, who said he has often been questioned for having a first-class seat on an airplane. “Seeing it at that young age, I’m not afraid to confront it. I’m not afraid to make it known as you know. I always grew up like that. My mother was strong willed. She was always like, ‘Listen man. Don’t be afraid to know that you sense how they feel and your true feelings.”
Therefore, Iguodala has not shied away from expressing his opinions. In an interview with “The Breakfast Club” on Tuesday, Iguodala shared the Warriors’ training staff said during the 2018 NBA playoffs that he had a “bone bruise” in left leg when he also had a fracture. He clarified those comments and defended the Warriors’ training staff with this publication. He did not shy away from his mixed feelings on the Warriors moving from Oracle Arena in Oakland to Chase Center in San Francisco next season. He has often has said with a hint of annoyance that the Warriors have “priced out” fans in Oakland in favor of the Silicon Valley.
“Sometimes the truth hurts,” Iguodala said. “We feel that when we’re out in public. We feel that when fans are saying we used to love coming to the games. We can’t come to the games anymore.”
Yet, Iguodala understands the tradeoff. The Warriors raise their ticket prices because their championship success. With the Warriors privately financing Chase Center at over $1 billion, they will reap all the revenue generated at Warriors home games and other events.
“You want to maximize the business side. If you’re an investor, that’s with any business. So if I have an investment company, you have the equal responsibility to maximize profits in a morally direct way,” Iguodala said. “We let them know we did appreciate you guys and hopefully you continue to stick with us. The Chase Center is going to be great. But you always want that energy to be there. In general, there is a sacrifice to one than the other in terms of the energy you can have depending on the price of the ticket. That’s any sport. It’s not like football where you can have 60,000 people and everybody can get in. We only have a limited amount of space. Hopefully we still keep our fans in there with us on this side and continue to support.”
That wish might hinge on what the Warriors’ roster looks like next summer. That starts with Durant’s uncertain future, which Iguodala insists leaves him feeling optimistic.
“You always let him know that you support him regardless through good times and bad times,” Iguodala said. “They understand that.”
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