Note: This article is a long article written by MARCUS Thompson II, a reporter for ta bay area reporting team, on April 21, local time, translated by the strongest lineup of warrior nations, and we are committed to providing quality content!
Translators: WGO Fred President, Liu, Ke and Cuddy
(Brother 1: A giant can't see anything in the mirror)
"What riddle man, where did you get this sentence from, brother?" Stephen Curry replied.
André Iguodala, while making a cameo in Curry on a new podcast on Point Forward, explains that it comes from "jeen-yuhs"—a Netflix documentary trilogy about Kanye West. Iguodala was mesmerized and watched it three times.
The tweet was a quote from Kanye's late mother, Donda West, whom she shared with her son as he worked hard for his rap career. Iguodala was drawn to the layers of meaning, contrast, and connection between humility and confidence. He can draw on the ideas and self-actualization lessons inside.
After watching this documentary, it is difficult to ignore the influence of Donda, regardless of what people think of Kanye. Her support for him fostered his faith, and that confidence gave him the freedom to dream, to reject the expectations of others and the restrictions of popular perception, and to move wholeheartedly in the direction his heart was pointing.
"The power it brings to me is so great." Iguodala responded.
This has brought Iguodala to an unprecedented impact. Eight years ago, Iguodala chose to exercise his freedom. It's not just his identity as a free agent, it's about choosing what he values — the freedom to violate stereotypes.
Maybe he didn't know it at the time, but when he called general manager Bob Myers and announced that he wanted to play for the Warriors, he embarked on a journey to reinvent himself. Or maybe it was to finally achieve himself, but he didn't go the old way.
Eight years on, Iguodala is thought to be likely to play in a third game, which could be his first game in the playoffs since he left Denver. This time it's as a member of the Warriors, and he's going to do it as someone different from when he left, though he may never become more indispensable.
When Iguodala left the Nuggets, he lost a chance to be the most understandable person in the NBA. As a result, however, he became a different person.
Iguodala declared from the outset that he had the freedom to play because he was touched by playing here, and the move in 2013 was to enjoy playing basketball again.
Nine seasons later, he has an All-Star nomination on his resume, an All-Star appearance, two gold medals, a Philadelphia Crown from Aaron Iverson, and an $80 million contract. But what he didn't have was what he saw in the Warriors he was facing.
Around this time in 2013, the Warriors' first round of the Black Six Nuggets confirmed his suspicions. He saw a group of talented but inexperienced young men whose coach, Mark Jackson, had filled them with confidence and they were so adamant in their belief in themselves.
The Nuggets had thirty-eight wins and thirty-eight losses in the regular season that year, and at denver's Pepsi Center, the Warriors won the second game of the first round. Their victory, which shocked the Nuggets, kicked off the final upset of the series and ignited the first spark of an era.
And Iguodala wants to add a handful of wood to their future.
"The race gave me a lot of gains," Iguodala said in a telephone interview while driving in the afternoon in San Francisco. "At the end of the day, I just want to have fun playing, I want to have fun working hard. What is the point of the game beyond that? People say, "You can make a lot of money." ”
"Yes. But that's why a lot of people end their careers. It's not that their physical qualities can't hold on, it's that their minds are exhausted by all those crazy things. I just want to go back to the gym every day, to compete, to enjoy it, and I don't actually enjoy the game as much as I wanted. ”
He's not for the money — though he insists he's not taking less because Denver's $70 million offer reportedly includes a non-guaranteed contract — which represents the prestige of the NBA's top players. He cares about something more fulfilling than attention and exposure. With this he gained a status that no one could have imagined at the time.
Of course, the freedom he exercised made him a villain. Denvers were scolding him for leaving the Warriors they despised after a season.
Recently, Nuggets coach George Carr accused Iguodala of providing intelligence to the Warriors during the Nuggets' 13-year rollover by the Warriors.
"From a historical point of view, when people move freely in the United States," Iguodala paused, carefully choosing his wording, "it is unwelcome to a certain group of people." That's where its madness lies. "
Calling someone a traitor is a controversial accusation that people will naturally and universally fight back against Karl. Most people will take defensive measures and look for opportunities to refute them in others. People waited for a reaction, at least a stealthy tweet. So there was the following one of Iguodala.
("It's God's will—God is predestined, and no one can do it" – Charlie Mack)
Iguodala's response, however, was a harbinger of his freedom. He invited Carl to the "Point Forward" podcast, and he said Carl accepted the invitation. Iguodala not only stood by his point of view, but also invited Karl to a conversation. He put it in a podcast because he should benefit from the content he creates (rather than making it available for free to media beyond his control), and freedom is about taking ownership of himself.
There is no doubt that the decision that sparked him to leave Denver ultimately brought good news to his basketball reputation. He now has three titles and all the respect that comes with it. He had a Finals MVP that validated his abilities, which was questioned when he was traded from Philadelphia and left Denver.
"Even though I have a smaller role in possession and scoring," Iguodala said, "I still know what it's like to be late in the game, when you need a goal and the ball goes to my hand." I will make the right decision. "
He plays on basketball's biggest stage, and as a key part of a dynasty, his resume is full of respect, which will be discussed for a long time, and his No. 9 jersey will be retired by the Warriors. At some point, there may even be a statue in the center of Chase who has a lifelong connection to the legendary figure.
In addition to this, he has grown into an off-field leader to achieve his goals. He was a bellwether for athletes in the tech field, creating the Player Tech Summit. The Mastry Ventures firm he founded has funded more than 40 companies, including Zoom. He struck a deal with Cash App to help promote its Bitcoin segment.
He is vice president of the NBA Players Guild, and the Point Forward podcast is part of New Amendment, a content production company owned by Iguodala and Turner under the MeadowwlarkMedia umbrella, founded by former ESPN President John Skipper and broadcast star Dan Le Batard.
Iguodala has ties to CEOs and billionaires in multiple industries. He is a model for players who recognize the breadth of their influence and have the opportunity to diversify and even expand their influence.
His career off the court is booming, and his basketball era may soon be over. Iguodala also has a lot of athleticism in his body, especially if he can rest when he needs to and make it to the playoffs. Of course, his IQ is also high enough to keep playing. But it's his 18th season, his 15th playoff, and the tycoon's life is calling. So, who knows what happens next.
But now, he's still in the works for a season.
At 3:46 p.m. on November 14, 2018, Iguodala tweeted: If the mountain is gentle, you can't climb over it.
It was the night after the 110-103 home win over the Atlanta Hawks and the foul-mouthed Dream Green blasted Durant during a game against the Clippers. His potential leadership helped restore the atmosphere in the locker room and get them to the Finals again. If it weren't for injuries that kept them off track, they would have won a third title.
Part of Iguodala found that the elements were worth the same as his defense and passing. The journey had given him so much wisdom that he couldn't help but share. To some extent, the quality formed by this is also due to the fact that he had a group of excellent veterans around him when he was young. It's also a responsibility – when you see a tree, you also see a whole forest. An African proverb says, "One who learns teaches." ”
Part of the origins of Iguodala's career need to be traced back to his days in Philadelphia and the discussions between Iverson and Samuel-DalemPort. Iguodala doesn't remember what their differences were, but what he can't forget is that Iverson said he told management to pay Dalem Potter. "He's like," said Iguodala, "what's that word?" What is that word? Then someone said, 'Guarantee? And he said, 'Man, I vouch for you.' I went there to vouch for you. I'll always do that, man. I want all of you to get paid. I think it was one of the big moments I loved! This sentence is still fresh in my mind. ”
Now, he's putting everything he has into the Warriors, he's returning as a senator, a contributor to victory and also influencing the environment in the locker room. His comeback has brought immediate benefits to teams trying to remain stable in injuries. He has played almost all the roles in his career, which has made him more capable of being the man this team needs. Coach Cole called him an adult on the team. Iguodala embodies the calmness that a ball-handler needs on the pitch, an honest and rational voice on the bench, and the need to show professionalism and challenging intelligence in the dressing room.
Jonathan Cumminga, Moses Moody, Jordan Poole; their achievements owe at least part to Iguodala's presence as a veteran. He's speaking for Poole's value because it's time for the third-grade defender to renew his contract. When it was Clay Thompson's turn, he did the same thing.
Iguodala is Curry's eternal guardian, even ensuring that Warriors CEO Chora Cobb hears curry's worth on the team because the value of players is much higher than the highest salary they get. As Nelson Mandela said, freedom is not about getting rid of bondage, but about living in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
Now, he spends just as much time building an empire for the benefit of their athletic brotherhood as much time as he does preparing for another title. Even then there are sacrifices. Life can be tough.
Iguodala said: "It gives me a goal and do things that we humans can't do. Yes, we've stepped through the door, but never set foot on the platform I'm trying to build. I'm in a position where I can lead a lot of ways of playing like me. We can start participating in the competition and start playing a real role in our community. ”
"But I'm faltering in other areas as well because you only have so many hours a day. I exhausted them all, and I didn't even give myself enough time for myself or with someone close to me. It's also a bit of a joy. But at the end of the day, I was on a mission that didn't disappoint me, and I woke up every morning still excited about the task at hand. ”
July 21, 2020 at 7:50 PM. Andrei Iguodala tweeted: See the light.