Winning the championship trophy was the big thing. The MVP award was icing on the cake for me.
That’s what I really wanted and am most happy about. + + +
Was it difficult to adjust to coming off the bench when you have been a starter your entire career? No, not really. People talk about that a lot, and there is an adjustment to be made to your ap- proach and your attitude, and coming into the game with the right mindset, and that’s what I try to do. There is an adjustment because you are out of rhythm a little bit. Just like anything in life, when there’s a major change being made, you start adjusting to it. + + +
You made a tremendous impact guarding LeBron James in the 2015 Finals. What was your approach? Is it the ultimate compli- ment to be trusted to guard him? Some- body’s got to guard him. We threw a bunch of different looks at him. It’s about meeting the challenge. He’s a great player, and if you are a competi-
tor, and you know your scouting report and you know you’re going against the best, you’re just competing and trying to force your will on that other team. When you’ve got a team sport like basketball with 10 guys on the court at the same time, and guys ready to come in and help you off the bench, you’ve got to do it collectively. That was our whole thought process.
+ + +
Who is the toughest player to guard in the NBA? For me there are a few guys. LeBron is a tough guy to guard, but I have some problems with a few other guys. Carmelo Anthony has always been a great challenge for me. I like competing with him. He’s really strong, he’s a great shooter, he has a great first step and he’ll punish you on the blocks. Kobe Bryant is another guy. Some other guys like Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and
Paul George, there are a lot of guys in this league who can play. LeBron is the best right now. He’s been hold- ing the torch for a while, but there are some other guys right there with him. There’s not a big gap there.
+ + +
What about the Warriors made you want to join them as a free agent in 2013? There were a number of teams that were available to me, and it was one of the better options. We just won a championship, so it looks like I made the right choice! That was the No. 1 thing. Other than that, the area was perfect. It’s the perfect blend of basketball and business. There are so many things going on in Silicon Val- ley, and my interest in technology was starting to peak around that time, so everything matched really well. And then once I got here and I saw how it was, it’s been a really great fit for me and my family.
Iguodala received 7 of the 11 Finals MVP votes, largely for his defense on LeBron James.
FALL 2015 /
NCGA.ORG / 45
PHOTO: AP/TONY DEJAK
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