While Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green received much of the praise for the success of the Warriors last season, it was Andre Iguodala who walked away with the NBA Finals MVP Award.
After starting every game he appeared in for the first 10 seasons of his career, Iguodala shifted to a bench role last year for Steve Kerr. Including the playoffs, Iguodala played in 98 games last season. The only ones he started were the final three.
Iguodala responded, helping the Warriors to title which proved to be the ultimate reward for his sacrifice. The veteran forward will come off the bench once again in the upcoming season for the Warriors and is perfectly fine with that. Just don’t mention to him the possibility of being named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year.
“I’m not a fan of the award, actually,” Iguodala said via USA Today. “It’s like affirmative action or something to me.”
Iguodala has been an all-star and has been the focal point of a team, having led the Sixers in scoring a couple of seasons. However, last season was a different position for him to be in and Iguodala buying in paid big dividends for both him and the team. With the core of the championship-winning team in tact, Golden State will be looking to win back-to-back titles like the Heat did in 2012 and 2013. If that’s going to happen, Andre Iguodala will probably once again be a key component, even if it’s as a reserve.
