Andre Iguodala is one of the NBA’s finest perimeter defenders, so it’s no small feat when someone torches him, even if it’s Kobe Bryant in his prime. Bryant not only did it, but he even warned Iguodala that it was coming.
The story starts on November 11, 2005, when Iguodala was a second-year pro with the Philadelphia 76ers. On that night, the young Iguodala faced Kobe Bryant and, in what he called his favorite defensive performance of his career, limited Bryant to 17 points on 7-of-27 shooting in his prime.
“It was on the front page of the paper,” Iguodala recalled after Saturday night’s Game Six victory, via Marcus Thompson of Bay Area News Group. “After the game, Phil Jackson said it was the best he’d seen someone defend Kobe.”
Later that season, the Sixers traveled to Los Angeles, and Bryant remembered what had happened the last time Iguodala had defended him, determined not to let it happen again. In fact, Bryant went as far as to leave a message for Iguodala in the Philadelphia locker room prior to the game.
“Tell Andre 50 tonight,” Iguodala remembered being told. “You know how much he got — 48.”
In the grand scheme of Kobe motivational tactics, getting shut down is normal, especially compared to this one. We will see if Kevin Durant can come up with a similar response on Monday night.
