Retired Andre Iguodala Confesses Struggles in Giving LeBron James Respect While Bidding Farewell to 8 Year Rivalry

Andre Iguodala has recently confirmed his retirement from the NBA. Throughout the 19 seasons, Iguodala has shared the court with talents like Allen Iverson and Stephen Curry. Rising to occasions, Andre has cemented himself as one of the most valuable teammates a franchise could ask for. Regardless, one of the defining moments of his career occurred during the 2015 NBA Finals, where he faced off against LeBron James.

At that time, the league widely recognized James as the undisputed top player. Many considered Iguodala, along with Kawhi Leonard, as one of the best options to contain James. Nevertheless, times have since changed, and James famously returned the favor (the chase-down block in the 2016 Finals). However, despite their rich history, it is only now that Iggy has opened up about his complicated relationship with James.

Iguodala finds it hard to hat-tip LeBron James

In a recent episode of the Point Forward podcast, Andre Iguodala officially declared his retirement. Furthermore, Iguodala took the microphone, accompanied by Evan Turner, to provide fans with nostalgic insights into Iggy’s remarkable career. During the podcast, a quarter into the episode, Turner posed a question to Iguodala about his post-retirement plans, particularly in terms of following certain players now that he’s no longer competing on the court.

In response, Iguodala immediately mentioned LeBron James. Furthermore, he described the challenge of acknowledging LeBron’s greatness, stating,?“It was really hard to give him flowers.”?

Iguodala expressed his desire to strike a balance between showing respect and maintaining a competitive edge as a factor he constantly had to consider. Furthermore, Andre also mentioned that, despite his age, LeBron continues to dominate the league.

To answer Turner’s question comprehensively, Iguodala also highlighted seasoned players like Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to his watch list. Additionally, he mentioned emerging young stars like Brandon Ingram, Anthony Edwards, and Jayson Tatum.

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Notably, one of the pivotal moments in Iguodala’s career was his role in winning the 2015 Finals MVP.

Iguodala won Finals MVP for holding James

During the series, he was tasked with guarding LeBron James. Initially coming off the bench, Iguodala replaced Andrew Bogut, with his primary focus squarely on?the king. The strategic move ultimately altered the course of the series in favor of the Golden State Warriors.?

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Facing the challenge of missing key players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, the entire burden of the team rested on LeBron James. Despite the challenge, James was initially handling the role with his customary brilliance. However, the disruptions created by Iguodala threw a wrench into James’ orchestration, altering the rhythm of his play.