Andre Iguodala reported to training camp two days after the Golden State Warriors began official preparations for their title defense, joining his teammates on Monday. Don't mistake his absence for the typical preseason luxury afforded to certain veterans increasingly common across all professional sports, though.
As revealed in his first press conference since announcing his plans to return for one more season, Iguodala's decision really did “come down to the wire.” In fact, the 38-year-old even went “back-and-forth” this summer on whether to play or retire two separate times, specifically deciding against coming back after undergoing strenuous workouts to gauge his level of fitness.
“It was a little bit of a rollercoaster because I had a lot of stuff going on this summer,” Iguodala said. “I had a productive summer, so I had jumped back and forth two times, and it's literally exhausting to jump back and forth. Like, ‘Alright, I'm in,' then I worked out two times, like hard, and then I was like, ‘For what?'”
Like Bob Myers and Steve Kerr insisted last Thursday, they really were unaware of Iguodala's final plans less than 48 hours before training camp tipped off.
What helped clinch his decision to put off retirement for a final NBA swan song? A couple rides on the Peloton bike last week and some skills training with his teenage son, who now stands as tall as Iguodala.
“It really got down to like the wire, because I didn't even know how I was gonna reveal it, because I really didn't know [I was coming back],” he said. “I got on the Peloton like two times last week and I was like, ‘Ah, I ain't in that bad a shape.' And then my son is getting older, he's my height now, so I had been showing him something on the court. That stuff never leaves. But then, once you're back on the court, you're back on the court. It's almost like I was here yesterday.”
Asked by @ThompsonScribe to describe his emotions when deciding whether to rejoin Warriors, Andre Iguodala says choice was a "rollercoaster" that "really came down to the wire."
"Like, 'Alright, I'm in,' then I worked out two times, like hard, and then I was like, 'For what?'" pic.twitter.com/tB2udGUoPR
— Jack Winter (@ArmstrongWinter) September 27, 2022
Don't expect Iguodala to play consistent minutes for Golden State during the regular season. His role will be much more about mentoring the likes of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, James Wiseman and Jordan Poole while ensuring the Warriors' veteran stars are also held to account in the locker room.
Still, there's a role for Iguodala to play on the floor when Golden State needs him most, especially if Kuminga and Moody, in particular, fail to make major strides as sophomores. This team lacks a proven perimeter table-setter behind Stephen Curry and Poole, and could always use an extra quality wing defender who's well-versed in its system on that side of the ball—areas of extra importance in the playoffs.
Given he was basically retired this time last week, it's a good thing for Iguodala and the Warriors they won't really need him to make a tangible until then.
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