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The Golden State Warriors have relied on a model of unselfishness and ball movement for the last few years, but it is that same culture that sixth man Andre Iguodala has embraced to his very core, preaching team-first mantras throughout the season.
A bona fide starter in this league, Iguodala welcomed a reserve role at 30 years old after a then-rookie head coach Steve Kerr suggested his energy and defensive tenacity would be better served coming from the second unit.
He agreed without complaint.
This very action has made all of his teammates aware of the sacrifices that have been made in order to make this team the juggernaut it is today. One thing is always clear, when Iggy speaks, they all listen.
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Finals Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant has learned that since his arrival in the Bay Area, after years of going head-to-head against the defensive ace. Durant noted there would be games where Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, or himself would not get double-digit shots in a game throughout the season.
“But nobody cared as long as we won,” said Durant, after spotting Iguodala at the back of the room during his news conference late Monday night, per Scott Cacciola of The New York Times. “Andre Iguodala, who is right there — he continued to preach that every single day: It’s all about the group. If your intentions are good, then that means, as a team, that we’re moving in the right direction.”
Funnily enough, that approach changed slightly as the playoffs, then the NBA Finals came around and it became time to unleash the dormant cerberus inside Durant, waiting to showcase what a scoring machine can do when given the green light.
“Andre told me all the time: ‘It’s your time. Go take it. It’s about you,’” Durant said. “But I’m like: ‘No, it’s about us. It’s about us. But I’m still going to be me.’”
The advice resulted in the team's second championship in the last three years and Durant's first postseason hardware, after averaging 35.2 points on 55.6 percent shooting from the field, 47.4 percent from deep and a crisp 92.7 percent from the stripe, along with 8.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.0 steals through five games in the NBA Finals.
