- Andre Iguodala started his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers and played for them for eight years
- The former All-Star has now spoken about how the Sixers organization wasn’t ready to focus on winning
- Andre Iguodala explained that despite this, the Sixers had an issue with players trying to get their numbers
Andre Iguodala played for the Philadelphia 76ers from 2004 to 2012. Even though he would eventually find team success with the Golden State Warriors, he first became an All-Star with the Sixers.
But his time with the franchise didn’t particularly end well. In a recent appearance on The Old Man And The Three podcast, Iguodala explained his issues with the franchise.
“We talk about Philly a lot,” Iguodala told JJ Redick. “They got new ownership, new management, so I’m comfortable with saying this now. I didn’t realize till I left that the organization wasn’t trying to win.
“So what do you do in that scenario? You gotta say this is survival, right? I gotta eat. I’m going into my contract year. But they’re mad at the players going out there and trying to get their numbers.”
“I didn’t realize till I left that the [Sixers] organization wasn’t trying to win… but they’re mad at the players for going out there trying to get their numbers”
– Andre Iguodala on his time in Philly
(Via @OldManAndThree ) pic.twitter.com/bl9W3VN2WC
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BASKETBALLonX) September 20, 2023
This is a salient point from Andre Iguodala. The objective for any NBA player is to find success. If the team is focused on winning, they can make some sacrifices, as Iguodala did during his time with the Golden State Warriors.
But many organizations aren’t in a place to win each season. So if they can’t then players have to think about their stats and their next contract. His frustration with the Sixers is easy to understand when viewed through that lens.
Andre Iguodala’s Stats With The Sixers Show The Trend He’s Talking About
Andre Iguodala was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers when Allen Iverson was still the big man on the team. Once Iverson moved on, Iguodala was on track to become the team’s next star.
In 2011-12, Iguodala’s last season with the Sixers, he made his only All-Star appearance. He did it by averaging 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while playing stellar defense.
But while it was his only All-Star year, Iguodala’s numbers were down. From 2007 to 2010, when the Sixers never made it to higher than the 6th seed in a weaker Eastern Conference, Iguodala averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
Eventually, those performances were what cultivated his reputation as a star, but his numbers got worse in his last two seasons with the Sixers. It shows that he was actively hampered by the organization and explains why he has now said what he said.
Andre Iguodala Eventually Found The Perfect Home With The Warriors
It’s hard to feel too bad for Andre Iguodala, he eventually had the most incredible run with the Golden State Warriors. He didn’t care about his own stats too much at that point because he could buy into a winning culture.
Andre Iguodala won four NBA championships as a part of the Warriors in the second half of his career and was even named Finals MVP in 2015 after they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers.
His time with the Sixers was difficult for Andre Iguodala and many young players who came through the organization.
But it they were actively not trying to win and also had a problem with players chasing the bag, then it’s easy to understand why things didn’t work out with him and several other stars.
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