The Golden State Warriors will be retiring Andre Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey, the team announced on Tuesday. The event is set to take place on Feb. 23 when the Warriors host the Dallas Mavericks. Iguodala will be the seventh Warrior legend to have his jersey number retired by the team. He joins a group consisting of Wilt Chamberlain (No. 13), Tom Meschery (No. 14), Al Attles (No. 16), Chris Mullin (No. 17), Rick Barry (No. 24), and Nate Thurmond (No. 42).
Iguodala was originally drafted 9th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2004 NBA Draft. He spent eight years in Philadelphia and was named an All-Star in 2012. Following that season, he was a part of the four-team deal that sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers. Iguodala was routed to the Denver Nuggets.
In his lone season in Denver, Iguodala helped lead the team to a 57-win regular season — tied for the most in franchise history since the Nuggets joined the NBA. In the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs, the Nuggets were upset by an upstart team on the rise — the Golden State Warriors.
Iguodala witnessed first-hand the potential of a Warriors team featuring a young Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. He saw himself as a missing piece to the puzzle, and the Nuggets and Warriors agreed to a sign-and-trade a few months after their playoff series concluded.
He was right. Iguodala’s unselfishness and defense were a perfect fit alongside Golden State’s rising stars. His willingness to accept a bench role allowed the rest of the team to flourish. In his second season in Golden State, the Warriors took on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Iguodala was a primary defender on LeBron James and took home Finals MVP honors for his performance
Iguodala was a key member in two more title squads with the Warriors in ’17 and ’18. He had a two-year stint with the Miami Heat before returning to Golden State in 2021. In his first year back, the Warriors won the championship — making Iguodala a four-time NBA Champion.
He will become the first player from Golden State’s dynastic run to have his number retired. Curry, Thompson, and Green will likely join him shortly. He may not have the same overall numbers as some all-time greats, but Iguodala was vital to Golden State’s success over the last decade.
