“I'mma blame a few people … I think Steve was a big culprit” - 4x NBA champion declares his comeback with Golden State Warriors, says Steph Curry, Draymond Green and rest of the team advised him to rejoin
The Golden State Warriors are hoping to defend their title in the upcoming season. Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will get another friendly face back in the locker room. After a long wait, Andre Iguodala finally announced that he will be returning for his 19th season.
The Warriors remained adamant that they would keep a roster spot open for Iguodala if he wanted to return for another season. Iguodala finally made the decision to return to the team with whom he has won four titles.
On the "Point Forward" podcast with Evan Turner, Iguodala joked that his teammates were to "blame" for him returning to the Warriors.
"I'mma blame a few people. Steph Curry is one person that I'm going to blame. But I know, as a group, I'm blaming Draymond, Steph and Klay. Steve Kerr a little bit, Bob Myers. I think they just really showed me a lot of love.
"They really helped me see my presence outside of physically playing basketball. I think Steve was a big culprit in terms of, like, 'Listen, we really need you on the court.' And Draymond was big on that as well."
Andre Iguodala returning to Golden State Warriors for 2022-23 season
The Golden State Warriors are poised to have a deeper roster than last season. While Andre Iguodala won't be asked to play major minutes, his leadership on and off the court will be valuable for the organization.
Iguodala has been around the team for all four titles in the past eight years. He has developed great chemistry with Klay Thompson, Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Having a familiar face around the locker room for another year is only going to help the team.
Andre Iguodala announced he is returning to the Warriors for his 19th NBA season
"I’m letting you know now, Steph, this the last one.” 🤣 https://t.co/jOdnDRSNI4
Last season, Iguodala averaged 4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. But it's not production on the court that the Warriors are looking for from Iguodala. They want a leader who can help the young players develop. Even during last season's finals run, Iguodala was consistently in Andrew Wiggins' ears, urging him to be more assertive.
The upcoming season will be huge for the Golden State Warriors in terms of player development. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman are expected to be given big minutes. With Iguodala back on the roster now, they have another leader who can help them develop.