- Andre Iguodala won Finals MVP in 2015 after the Warriors beat the Cavaliers
- Iguodala’s defense against LeBron James was the reason he got the award
- Evan Turner roasted him for holding LeBron to just a 40-point triple-double
Evan Turner hilariously roasted Andre Iguodala for the “incredible” job he did guarding LeBron James in the 2015 NBA Finals. During their appearance on The Old Man and the Three podcast, JJ Redick brought up Iguodala winning Finals MVP over LeBron that year, and Turner sarcastically praised him for the job he did.
“You made it look like child’s play,” Turner said. “You held him to that 40-point triple-double? My gosh bro, let’s get it!”
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Steve Kerr putting Iguodala into the starting lineup in Game 4 of those Finals is often seen as the turning point of that series. The Golden State Warriors were down 2-1 to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the time, but Iguodala’s inclusion helped turn the tide, and they went on to win Games 4 through 6.
For his efforts, Iguodala won Finals MVP over LeBron and Stephen Curry. As Turner brought up, though, it wasn’t like he locked James up. In Game 5, LeBron had 40 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, and a steal, but the Cavaliers still lost.
Iguodala did bother LeBron a little bit, no doubt, but ultimately, James was just getting worn down by having to carry the offense in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love’s absence. He still ended up averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in that series, which is just absurd.
Andre Iguodala Thinks Stephen Curry Should Have Won Finals MVP
Despite those incredible numbers, LeBron was not going to win the award. Only once had a player from the losing team won Finals MVP, and that was Jerry West in 1969, the first year that the award was handed out. James still got four votes, but Iguodala got seven and took home the award.
The 39-year-old doesn’t think he should have won it, though, with Iguodala stating Curry should have won Finals MVP in 2015. Steph wasn’t magnificent in those Finals, but he played fairly well.
He averaged 26.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game, and for him to not get even a single MVP vote just seemed bizarre. Iguodala, meanwhile, put up 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game.
Not winning that Finals MVP was something that was always held against Curry, and his failure to win it after Kevin Durant’s arrival only made things worse in that regard. Steph did ultimately get the proverbial monkey off his back last year to finally put an end to the talk of him underperforming on the big stage.
Andre Iguodala Still Hasn’t Confirmed Whether He’s Returning For His 20th Season
Iguodala would be entering his 20th season in the NBA in 2023-24 if he chooses to play, but there is no indication yet on what he plans to do. He has been rather coy on the subject and didn’t say much during this episode, either.
“We recorded my decision, but I might come back and hoop … or I might go home,” Iguodala said.
He was not sure about returning last season itself. Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Steve Kerr, and Bob Myers all had to convince Iguodala to play in 2022-23. The campaign did not go according to plan at all, though, as he only managed to play in eight games.
He’ll turn 40 next year, and it just doesn’t seem worth it at this point to carry on. The Warriors, though, would welcome him back with open arms if does decide to continue.
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