Andre Iguodala says that he would rather have had Warriors superstar, Steph Curry, win the 2015 Finals MVP over both him and LeBron James.
The 2015 NBA Finals marked the first of four consecutive meetings between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two teams would define the late 2010s for the NBA and this can be attributed to both Steph Curry and LeBron James. With the former being the star of the Warriors, it’s easy to forget the unsung hero for the Dubs: Andre Iguodala.
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Well, in all fairness, Iguodala isn’t exactly the ‘unsung’ hero for Golden State as he was given his flowers in the form of the 2015 NBA Finals MVP. The came as a shock to the entirety of the NBA fandom as it is quite strange to not have the regular season MVP win a title and not be crowned with the Finals MVP as well.
What makes this predicament even stranger is that out of the 11 voters who were given the opportunity to cast a vote for Finals MVP honors, not one person voted for Steph Curry. 7 votes were given in favor of Andre Iguodala and the rest 4 in favor of LeBron James.
Three more votes and James would’ve been only the second player in league history to win Finals MVP while on the losing team, the first being Jerry West in 1969.
Andre Iguodala admits to believing Steph Curry was the 2015 NBA Finals MVP instead of him.
In a recent episode of the Old Man and the Three, Andre Iguodala let JJ Redick know that he wholeheartedly believes Steph Curry deserved to win the 2015 NBA Finals MVP over him.
“I was talking to Trevor Ariza, I told him I lucked out and got one Finals MVP. I would rather Steph have it. Ariza told me ‘Hell no!’ I still think Steph Curry should have got one of those three.”
New @OldManAndThree is live!! Episode 66 w/ @andre is a deep dive on Warriors culture, the NBA’s next generation, Philly, and why golf is such an outlet. Listen wherever u listen to your pods https://t.co/vFtJZCmLQ6
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) July 14, 2021
It’s well known that Kevin Durant’s arrival in Golden State led to a reduction in offensive creation for the 2x MVP. Durant was also the recipient of both Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018. Both of these awards were well deserved as he was one of the best two-way players in the Playoffs and the Finals in both years, while delivering in the clutch.
Andre Iguodala definitely put up atypical stats for a Finals MVP as he averaged 16.3 points on 53% shooting from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. However, it was clear that he was the engine behind several runs the Warriors went on when down 2-1 to the Cavs that led to an eventual 3-game winning streak.
