It’s been a rough day in the world of the NBA as fans learned of the sudden passing of Dikembe Mutombo. The beloved global ambassador impacted the world via his achievements in court and by giving back to the community. However, while fans mourned the loss of the Hall of Famer, Andre Iguodala seemed to have found a bit of light on this dark day.

Iguodala recently made headlines after he took shots at LeBron James. The Golden State Warriors veteran was on CNBC’s Power Lunch, where he brought up an old debate. This was comparing James to Kobe Bryant. According to him, while meaning no disrespect to James, he said, “Bryant was the hardest I had to guard.” Fans believed there could be something brewing between James and Iguodala, but he seemingly pulled a 180.

Taking to social media, Iguodala commented something positive on the recently uploaded image of James and Bronny for the upcoming NBA Media Day. He said, “This brightens a sad day!” While fans are still reeling from what was said recently, it is clear that he harbors no bad blood for James and his son. While James was clad in his iconic #23 jersey, Bronny was in his #9 for the team’s media day.

LeBron James is all set to begin his 22nd training camp this week with the Purple and Gold. However, this is going to be a unique one. This time around, the #23 would be sharing the locker room and hardwood with his 19-year-old son, Bronny James. This will make them the first father and son in NBA history to play together. Expressing his excitement on the same, the 39-year-old remarked, “It’s pure joy, to be honest, to be able to come to work every day, put in the hard work with your son every day, and be able to see him continue to grow. We push each other. He pushes me, I push him…Just a very joyous moment, not only for myself, but for our family.”

However, coming back to Iguodala and James, they have gone head-to-head in four straight NBA Finals, from 2015 to 2018. During 2015’s first series representing the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively, both faced off for the first time. Iguodala was named the MVP of the finals, while James had an impressive 35.8 points. The two would face each other in another three more NBA Finals. However, this would be the start of a long rivalry.

Andre Iguodala and LeBron James have had an 8-year rivalry

While the beef between the two was squashed once Iguodala retired in 2023, he did confirm that there was something he found rather difficult to do. This was the task of giving James his flowers. He explained that the reason for their rivalry was the balance between showing respect and having a competitive edge.

Fans of the two will recall that he was tasked with guarding James during their first confrontation in 2015. This could be where the comparison to Bryant stems from. Moreover, his statement on Bryant and James reignited his comment section to debate who was better.

While James did handle the task of playing the series with key players missing, Iguodala ensured it would not be easy. Taking his role in the team seriously, Iguodala was able to throw James off his game and disrupt his flow. Despite the remarks made, fans know Iguodala spoke from his years of experience on the court.