On February 23rd, after the game vs the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors retired legendary sixth man Andre Iguodala’s jersey. Steph Curry gave an emotional speech as a tribute to the sixth man who stepped up.
“I think we all can feel it but this isn’t just about a number going into the rafters,” Curry said. “This is about a player who changed the course of our entire franchise. ... You were the first one to choose us, and that meant the world. For a team that knew we were good but didn’t know how to get to that next level, you unlocked so much confidence, so much IQ, so much maturity to what we did.”
Curry noted that he saw something special in Iguodala before he even joined the Warriors — and soon enough, there he was, joining Golden State in 2013, thus beginning the dynasty that would lead to four rings in ten years. He also noted something bittersweet — since Iggy had retired in 2023, Steph is the oldest Warrior (barring Chris Paul last season, of course). As time marches on endlessly, it’s only a matter of time before we see Steph, Klay, Draymond, KD, and Kevon Looney (yes, I’m saying it) immortalized in the rafters right next to their sixth man.
Additionally, Curry told his favorite Iggy story. ““He wasn’t a big drinker. After we won the first championship in Cleveland, having a first shot with him. That was a big moment. It took a championship to get him to take a shot of tequila,” Curry said. “That embodies all the hard work that goes into it. It takes that consistent effort, that sacrifice from everybody to experience what a championship was like. Then he kind of loosened some of his personal rules and had a good night with us. So he promised us that and he came through.”
In addition to being a fantastic teammate, Iggy is a four-time champion, one-time All-Star, and most importantly, the 2015 Finals MVP. Iggy will forever be the sixth man who stepped up as an integral part of the Warriors dynasty.
