Former Golden State Warriors star Andre Iguodala is still a team player.
On Nov. 8, the Come And Talk 2 Me YouTube channel shared a clip from “The Mark Jackson Show,” where the 2015 Finals MVP spoke with his former coach about his admiration and respect for teammate Stephen Curry.
Iguodala reflected on how he and Curry had an instant connection when he joined the Warriors in 2013 based on their strong beliefs and faith.
He joked about comparing Curry to “Jesus” during his first news conference on the team. “I’ve never seen a person, like, live exactly the lifestyle they say they’re trying they’re trying to achieve,” Iggy said to his former Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Jackson, “I’m trying to be like Steph, and I fail every single day. And when someone is that, true to who they say they are, for them to have that killer in them that people don’t know he has, it’s even more special.”
The four-time NBA champion added that Curry’s strong religious convictions instantly put him in defender mode, turning him into Curry’s unofficial “security.”
That idea of protecting the NBA’s leading 3-point shooter went beyond keeping him away from overzealous fans looking for an autograph.
The three laughed as Iguodala hinted at a story he would keep under wraps.
“I’ll never tell the story about the furniture,” he said. “We can’t put that on. I’ll never forget that. I tell that story all the time to, like, my friends. … I can’t, because he married to a beautiful woman, and so we can’t say that. But Steph is like one of those people who is like, yeah, we protected him at all cost.”
After maintaining his oath of secrecy, the 40-year-old discussed the impact his teammate of six seasons had on basketball.
“He actually changed the game. How many people in basketball history changed the game? Like he changed the rules,” he said of his former teammate.
He noted that while astounding, the basketball stats were just one side of Curry. The personal stories alluding to how good of a person he was were no “tall tales.”
“You learn his flaws, but they aren’t real flaws. You know, Steph is the class clown sometimes. Yep. But he’s just a genuine human being, and just the way he carries himself, man,” Iguodala said.
Iguodala isn’t the only Warrior alum to speak highly of the father of four.
In January 2024, former 2018 Warriors champion Jordan Bell was a guest on the “Run Your Race Podcast” and opened up about how surprisingly humble the point guard is.
“Steph don’t know he Steph,” he said. “He don’t know he’s the best shooter. I’m not saying he doesn’t know that, but he doesn’t carry himself like that. He’s a people person.”
Unlike Iguodala, Bell felt compelled to tell his story of how Curry took it upon himself to engage with him during his rooking year.
“Even when I was there in the rookie year. … he came up and asked me how I was and my name and all that,” Bell said. “That’s who Steph is. He don’t know he’s Steph, he thinks he’s a regular person, like a regular dude that’s just a respectful man. … He’s a great dude.”
The praise train continued for Curry on a recent episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” when Draymond Green and Moses Moody shared their love and joked about how their teammate mentored new players.
“That man gives you the most profound answer,” Green said. He and Curry played over 700 games together as Warriors.
He added. “He walks you through every step of it. We could be at practice, [someone] goes up to him for advice. We’ve moved on to the next drill, and he’s still over there in the corner just talking to them. We all be standing in the huddle looking at him, waiting for him to stop.”
Moody, who entered the league in 2021, added from personal experience that Curry’s advice is “one-on-one.” “He ain’t doing in front of everybody,” he said.
Poking fun at his friend’s peaceful demeanor, Green emphasized how intimate Curry’s advice can get.
“He’s talking to you. Nobody else has any clue what you’re talking about. It’s very quiet over there,” Green joked.
