Andre Iguodala

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Iguodala played college basketball with the Arizona Wildcats. After earning first-team all-conference honors in the Pac-10 (known now as the Pac-12) as a sophomore in 2004, he was selected in the 2004 NBA draft with the ninth overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers. Iguodala played for Philadelphia until the summer of 2012 when he joined the Denver Nuggets in a four-team trade. He was acquired by Golden State in 2013. In 2014–15, Iguodala became a reserve for the first time in his career, but played a major role. He captured the Finals MVP after returning to the starting lineup in the middle of the championship series. After three championships and five trips to the Finals with the Warriors, Iguodala had a two-year stint with the Miami Heat, with whom he reached his sixth straight Finals in 2020. Iguodala returned to Golden State in 2021 and won his fourth NBA championship that season. He spent another season with the Warriors before retiring from playing in 2023. From February 2019 to February 2023, Iguodala served as vice-president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). On November 9, 2023, the NBPA executive committee appointed him as acting executive director.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Iguodala's career arrived during the 2014–15 NBA Finals. For the first time in his career, he entered the season as a reserve, yet played a major role for the Warriors. In the middle of the championship series against Cleveland, head coach Steve Kerr inserted him into the starting lineup. This strategic shift proved decisive; Iguodala's defensive pressure on LeBron James and his playmaking helped seal the victory. He was subsequently named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, becoming the first player to win the award without starting every game in the series. This performance capped a run where he would eventually earn three more championships with Golden State, adding a fourth title upon returning to the team in 2021 after a two-year stint with the Miami Heat.

Reader's Guide

Iguodala was born in Springfield, Illinois, the son of Linda Shanklin. His older brother, Frank, played for Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois, and Dayton. His mother is African American and his father is Nigerian. Growing up, Iguodala was a Chicago Bulls fan, and cites Michael Jordan as the player he looked up to the most. Iguodala attended Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois, which had produced such notable athletes as baseball Hall of Famer Robin Roberts and NBA guard Kevin Gamble. Iguodala did well there both academically and athletically, winning All-Conference academic honors, making the National Honor Roll, being named State Journal-Register Student-Athlete of the Week several times, and earning three letters in track for the high jump. As a senior in 2002, Iguodala led Lanphier's basketball team to a runner-up finish at the Illinois High School Association Class AA state tournament. That season, he averaged 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Iguodala was named Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year as well as a second-team Parade All-American and Nike All-American. He was also a finalist for the Illinois Mr. Basketball award, which was won by Dee Brown. Iguodala's Lanphier jersey is now retired. During the summer of 2000, Iguodala captured the attention of coaches around the nation by hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater to give his team the 17-and-under AAU national title and being named the tournament MVP. In 2002, Iguodala played in the Jordan Brand Classic in Washington, D.C. In 22 minutes of play, he put up six points on 3–6 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a block. Iguodala played AAU basketball under Larry Butler and the Illinois Warriors, the team that has featured other professional players such as Dwyane Wade and Quentin Richardson, and Duke head coach Jon Scheyer. Considered a four-star recruit by Scout.com, Iguodala was listed as the No. 6 small forward and the No. 26 player in the nation in 2002. Iguodala initially signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Arkansas. He had narrowed down his list of desired schools to two: Kansas or Arkansas. Iguodala was enticed by Arkansas's 1–3 system, which would have allowed Iguodala to run the point occasionally. Iguodala visited the Arkansas campus and was impressed by their large gymnasium and the number of fans at a practice while there with

Did You Know?

• Iguodala was the only rookie and 76er to record a triple-double in the 2004–05 season.
• Iguodala collected three triple-doubles in his sophomore season at Arizona, joining Jason Kidd as the only two players in Pac-10 history to post two or more triple-doubles in a season.
• Iguodala won MVP of the Rookie Challenge in 2006 with a 30-point performance.