The Golden State Warriors are prepared to add another jersey to their rafters along with Kevin Durant’s No. 35. Recently departed Finals MVP, Andre Iguodala will have his No. 9 jersey retired by the team.
Warriors Co-Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob released a statement regarding the retirement of Iggy’s jersey.
“During the summer of 2013, we went through an extensive free agency process in our efforts to sign Andre Iguodala. At that time, we envisioned him becoming a vital part of a young, up-and-coming team with championship aspirations. As we look back six years later, we actually underestimated what his value would be to our team, both on the court and in the locker room. In what has been well-documented, Andre sacrificed for the betterment of our team and, in one of the best stories of this journey, earned NBA Finals MVP honors in 2015. He has been absolutely vital to our success during five consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals and three championships. We thank Andre for his contributions and look forward to seeing his number in the rafters at Chase Center.” ”
Shortly after Kevin Durant decision to join the Brooklyn Nets, Iguodala was traded in a salary-shedding move to allow for the Warriors to remain competitive. Days before free agency was in full swing, Iggy visited The Breakfast Club in what has been qualified as a tell-all interview about his experiences in the Bay Area. He also let off tweets on the day of Durant’s decision that appeared to foreshadow his departure from the Warriors.
You can see the statement from the Warriors below.
Andre, thank you ? pic.twitter.com/YTLF97fxwP
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 7, 2019
Warriors trade Andre Iguodala to Memphis pic.twitter.com/F1Os1Zdk8c
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) July 7, 2019
In the rafters.
9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/nQIehrWW3w
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 7, 2019