On the latest episode of the Club520 podcast, former Hawks guard Jeff Teague didn’t mince words about Iguodala’s lone All-Star selection in 2012, claiming it had more to do with politics than performance. According to Teague, Iguodala got the nod because coaches were determined to snub Lou Williams, despite Lou being the leading scorer on that 76ers team.
“He made the All-Star team one time because the coach did not want Lou Williams to make it. Lou Will was the leading scorer,” said Teague. “People said I had the worst stats as an All-Star, but those are the worst stats for an All-Star.”
Teague’s lone All-Star appearance in 2015 is often cited as the least deserved in the modern NBA era. While his stats were respectable, they were pretty low for an All-Star, with averages of 15.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game on 46.0% shooting. Voters gave Teague the nod as a reward for the Hawks’ success that year, who finished first in the East at 60-22. He was actually one of four players on his team to earn the honor.
As Teague pointed out, however, there’s another player in modern NBA history to have an even worse stat sheet: Andre Iguodala. The 4x champion and Finals MVP made the team in 2012 with modest season averages of 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game on 45.4% shooting.
It was Iggy’s final season with the 76ers, two years before joining the Warriors, and Teague says he only made it due to a negative bias against Lou Williams. With averages of 14.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, Lou’s stats weren’t overwhelming on paper, but he was the leading scorer of his team and a big reason why they were able to finish fourth in offensive rating (108.5).
We may never know the full story of why Iguodala was selected over Williams, but it may have something to do with their head coach at the time, Doug Collins. His beef with Williams is well-documented, and Lou has argued that his “tough love” approach that season completely ruined their chemistry and development as a team.
Some of the tension may have also stemmed from Lou’s defensive struggles and outspoken personality, which apparently set the coach off. There was even a time when Doug Collins started talking trash to him behind his back, set off by Williams giving him attitude.
Clearly, there was major toxicity brewing in the 76ers locker room that season, which may help explain why both Iguodala and Williams moved on after the 2012 season. Sadly, Williams never made an All-Star roster, but at least he was able to win three Sixth Man of the Year awards once he left Philadelphia.
Ultimately, several factors were likely at play here, and you could make the case that Iguodala genuinely deserved the nod due to his impact on both ends of the floor. But for Teague and Williams, that whole season is a reminder of just how much power coaches have when it comes to acknowledging and awarding certain players.
No matter what factors were at play in Lou Will’s All-Star snub, his comments have reopened a long-standing debate about how the spots are determined and whether politics sometimes overshadows performance. For Williams and other like-minded players, whose game never quite fit the traditional mold, being overlooked by coaches may have been less about numbers and more about personality, perception, or behind-the-scenes dynamics.
