Andre Iguodala bought the Golden State Warriors’ stocks when they hadn’t taken off and then collected heavy returns in just a few years. The veteran defender’s dividends included four NBA Championships, a Finals MVP trophy, and recognition as a core member of the Dubs dynasty.
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However, the lead that indicated to Iguodala that the Warriors were going to blow up was not the supreme talent of Stephen Curry. The then Denver Nuggets star realized that after guarding Klay Thompson in the 2013 first-round series against Golden State. Iguodala brought up the playoff series during his conversation with former Warriors coach Mark Jackson on the latter’s eponymous podcast.
It took Iggy only one or two games to figure out that Klay Thompson was a different breed of player. “I was guarded by Klay, and I had to guard Klay [in the 2013 series]. That’s when I was like, ‘Yo, this dude is goood!‘” the 40-year-old told Jackson.
Iguodala was surprised by Thompson’s strength and his ability to defend, considering that he was only a second-year player at the time. The Nuggets star found himself almost always making tough shots because of Klay’s lockdown defense. He knew immediately that that was not normal.
Iguodala remembers telling the Nuggets’ coaching staff at the time, “This ain’t normal the way this dude shooting the ball. He shoot it real fast and I’m turning around, and the ball going in…There’s something different about this dude.”
The Nuggets’ coaches wanted Iggy to help out on other fronts alongside defending Thompson. But the veteran defender declined to leave Klay unattended even for a second.
“I didn’t know too much about Klay…What I felt when I was playing with him…I just knew he was different,” Iggy reiterated.
Thompson averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, in that series, shooting 46.3% from the field and 34.3% from three in that series. Even though his numbers didn’t exactly reflect his potential, Iguodala knew from the glimpses he saw that Klay was a generational talent. He could also see how the young shooter would make a good pair with Stephen Curry, who showed up big time in the Warriors’ 4-2 win in the series.
Iguodala would join the Warriors the same year, which would be the start of a strong professional and personal bond with the Splash bros.
Iggy told his son to copy Klay instead of Steph
Even though the 6-feet-6 forward left the Warriors after winning three Championships with the team, he returned just in time to be a part of the Dubs’ fourth Championship campaign in 2022.
After being part of the locker room for such a long journey, Iguodala knows both Curry and Thompson like the back of his palm. That’s exactly why he advised his son to shoot like Klay and not like Steph.
Iggy explained during a podcast appearance that his son will probably grow up to his height. So Steph’s technique of pushing the basketball before shooting won’t be expedient for him.
On the other hand, Klay’s shot will be a better fit because the Mavericks guard is in a similar height range. And Iggy knows from experience that Thompson is a good basketball role model for his son to emulate.
