Andre Iguodala makes his feelings clear on being first member of Warriors dynasty to have jersey retired

Andre Iguodala will get his No. 9 jersey from the Golden State Warriors after playing a key role in the team’s dynastic run in the latter half of the 2010s. Iguodala was the Finals MVP when the Warriors picked up their first NBA title in 40 years in 2015 and continued to be one of the team’s most reliable defensive players throughout their run.

On Wednesday, Iguodala made his feelings known about being the first member of the Warriors dynasty to have his jersey retired in Golden State. In an interview with Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Iguodala quipped about being the oldest one in the championship teams and reflected on his time with the Warriors.

“I’m just the oldest…Mark Jackson’s favorite line was: ‘Father Time is undefeated.’ It worked to my benefit this time in terms of being the first one,” Iguodala said.

He then looked back on his first year with the Warriors in 2013, just two years away from winning his first career championship.

“I remember what I had on. I remember the questions. I remember the responses. And, you know, I was a second-tier free agent waiting on Dwight Howard. So I’m not thinking it is going to be headline news from the press conference nationally. Maybe just locally,” Iguodala said.

Iguodala played six seasons with the Warriors before moving to the Miami Heat in 2019, where he was also part of the 2020 NBA Finals against the LA Lakers.

Iguodala returned to the Warriors in the 2021-2022 season to be part of the final title of the renowned Warriors championship core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

After winning it all again in 2022, Iguodala played just eight games in the following season and then retired, ending his career with four titles, just as many as Curry, Thompson and Green.

Iguodala was also a one-time All-Star in the 2011-2012 season when he was still with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Warriors owner praises Andre Iguodala’s contribution to the franchise

Playing nine seasons before signing with the Warriors, Andre Iguodala was the veteran presence the Warriors needed to go over the hump. Warriors owner Joe Lacob commended Iguodala for playing the veteran role for most of his time with the team, propelling them to the title.

“He was the perfect player and person at the perfect time for our team…The sacrifice he made in coming off the bench in 2014, sent a message that he came here to help us do one thing: win. The proof is in the rafters and his number belongs alongside the banners he helped us raise,” Lacob said in a statement.

In 2022, Iguodala was key in helping develop young stars such as Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II, who were pivotal in the team’s defensive game plans en route to the title.

Iguodala played 19 seasons in the NBA across four teams and was a two-time All-Defensive player.

His jersey retirement ceremony will be on Feb. 23, when the Warriors face Klay Thompson's Dallas Mavericks.

Andre Iguodala will be the seventh player to have his jersey retired in franchise history.