During the dynasty days, the Golden State Warriors didn’t lack stardom. The likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant pulled the crowds just by their allure alone. But in the mix of stars was the need for a team-oriented player to balance the proceedings. For Steve Kerr, that was Andre Iguodala. And now approaching the date of his jersey retirement with the Warriors, the celebrated head coach heaped great praise on the former Bay forward.

For Kerr, Iguodala was a necessity to have on the roster. He had a veteran’s mentality and, even in his final years of not playing much, helped mentor the younger Warriors. But in his prime years, he was Kerr’s secret weapon. Not only did he willingly accept a bench role, but Iguodala’s two-way prowess aided Kerr’s plans to materialize outstanding success.

“Andre, in my mind, was the unsung hero of that whole era. Everyone knows about [Steph Curry] and [Klay Thompson] and Kevin Durant and [Draymond Green]. Andre was a guy who sort of tied it all in together. Brilliant, brilliant two-way basketball player [and] a brilliant basketball mind,” the Warriors HC told NBC Bay Area.

In the three championships that the Warriors won in four seasons, Iguodala was an integral part. On the stat sheet, his impact may not have been profound. But Iguodala was the jack of all trades. He transformed himself to fit into the volume shooting system and defensively helped set the tone for the Bay to thrive.

For Steve Kerr, there is no one more deserving of a jersey retirement than Andre Iguodala. The 2015 Finals MVP was an indispensable part of the most elusive dynasty of the modern generation. Without his sacrifice and unselfishness, the Golden State Warriors may not have been a success at all.

Andre Iguodala didn’t expect such a high honor

With the news of his jersey retirement, Chris Russo was one of the first to speak. And he couldn’t contemplate the Warriors’ decision. Calling Iguodala an “intangible player“, the analyst doesn’t believe Iguodala has the credentials to be the seventh Warrior to have his jersey in the rafters.

“I know you want to be nice, and you want to sell tickets, and you want to have sort of a Warriors Fest and a Warriors Day and we all clap; that’s not what a Hall of Fame and retiring numbers is all about. It’s about honoring the greats of your franchise. Iguodala’s not a Warriors great,” Russo bluntly stated.

Dub Nation wouldn’t agree.

However, even Andre Iguodala didn’t see the day of his jersey retirement come. When looking back at his introductory press conference, Iguodala did say he had an “intuition” of the triumphant run the Warriors would have. But the sheer volume and his celebration weren’t something he could predict.

“I didn’t know because I’d never been there. It was just, I don’t know, intuition. But I didn’t think it would be four. I didn’t think it would be jersey retirements,” he told The Athletic.

Nonetheless, what matters is that Andre Iguodala was invaluable to the Golden State Warriors in their most successful runs. Sometimes, greatness isn’t defined by numbers. Rather, it’s the impact that they had. And the one-time All-Star was much more influential than just the things he conjured on the court.