It's not a coincidence that the Golden State Warriors' surge this season has occurred with the return of Andre Iguodala. The veteran forward is a beloved figure, and even though he's not playing that much, his presence will always be valuable.
Before rejoining the Warriors, Iguodala spent two seasons with the Miami Heat. Both teams are known to take immense pride in their team culture. Iguodala recently revealed on Draymond Green's podcast the differences between the Warriors and the Heat, and some were a little surprising (via Heavy).
“Our (Warriors) environment is a little more relaxed. It’s got some hippy vibes to it, go at your own pace, go as you please. Miami is kind of like, straight and narrow, everybody in formation. I could see weaknesses in both. Because both had a lot of success—Pat Riley is probably one of the most successful players/coaches/GMs in NBA history. He’s done it at every level. We had success here, and I saw some flaws here.”
Iguodala, who helped the Warriors to three titles and was named Finals MVP in 2015, didn't want to leave, but financial constraints led to his departure. He, however, made sure that he brought to the Heat the things he learned with the Warriors.
“Being in those two places, I tried to step back and appreciate the value in both sides. When I was there, I saw some things we did with the Warriors that I could bring to some of the players to the team—some guys might not be as mentally strong at a young age, nudge them and get them to open up a little bit.”
One thing's clear though, wherever he goes, Iguodala's team just wins.
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