In an interview with The New York Times, Andre Iguodala personally confirmed his plan to sign a contract with the Warriors for the end of 1 salary, "go home"! Iguodala reportedly seriously considered the Lakers and Nets before confirming his return to the Warriors. So why did Iguodala reject the Lakers and the Nets in favor of signing with the Warriors?
Is there a bigger chance for the Warriors to win the championship than the Nets and Lakers? Apparently not. Judging from the current new season championship odds, the Lakers and the Nets are tied for first, the Nets have three MVP-level players who have played in the year, the Lakers also have a strong book strength after trading Russell Westbrook, and the Warriors who missed the playoffs last season are unlikely to become the title favorite after the return of Klay Thompson, who has missed two seasons due to injury.
The Warriors clearly have no higher chances of winning the championship than the Nets and Lakers, so will Iguodala have more performance opportunities in the Warriors? not necessarily. The Warriors have an All-Star player of the year in the small forward position, Andrew Wiggins, but the Nets and Lakers are less famous in the small forward position in the new season, not to mention that Iguodala, who is 37 years old, is unlikely to seek too much playing time, and his physical fitness has been difficult to support more than 20 minutes of high-intensity games.
Iguodala already has three championship rings, including the MVP of the Finals in 2015, and now he is unlikely to insist on the championship ring, and Iguodala, whose total annual salary has exceeded $180 million so far in his career, is unlikely to insist on a basic salary contract for the last year. So, why did Iguodala insist on fighting for another year, and chose to join the Warriors after rejecting a championship favorite like the Lakers and the Nets?
Iguodala chose to "go home", most likely to be able to retire the jersey number. Iguodala's 17-year NBA career so far has played for the 76ers, Nuggets, Warriors and Heat, including 8 seasons with the 76ers, only 1 year for the Nuggets, 2 years for the Heat, and 6 years for the Warriors. Although Iguodala played the longest time with the 76ers and became famous with the 76ers, the most brilliant moment of his career was undoubtedly in the Warriors, and there was also the FMVP trophy bonus, and the only way to retire the jersey number could be the Warriors, and if he could end his NBA career in the Warriors, the probability would increase greatly.
Iguodala chose to "go home", in addition to the selfishness of retiring the jersey number, it is more about planning for his life after retirement. Iguodala, as a veteran investor, has a lot of business in San Francisco, and he is likely to be able to enter the Management of the Warriors after retiring, and retiring as a Warrior player will also increase this possibility, and there are many precedents in the history of the NBA.
Iguodala refused the Lakers and the Nets and chose to renew the Contract with the Warriors, which has nothing to do with the championship, the warriors' goal in the new season is more realistic, I'm afraid to impact the playoffs, Iguodala's choice to "go home" is more from his own selfishness, not to talk about any feelings, is he planning in advance for his life after retirement, or hoping that warriors fans will be calm.