How Andre Iguodala's Beliefs Influence His Play on the Court
Even though he's been a part of two NBA title teams and could soon be a member of the third, the Golden State Warriors' Andre Iguodala is still one of the more underrated players in the league.
As evidence of this, when the Houston Rockets' Chris Paul went down due to injury during the Western Conference Finals, his health was being discussed around the clock on sports programs. Conversely, Iguodala being out of action wasn't getting nearly as much attention.
It's easy to understand why that happened.
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Paul is a superstar in this league and is set to go down as one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA.
When many NBA fans look at Iguodala, they see a really good role player.
Iguodala is indeed a role player, but he may be the best example of one.
Since joining the Warriors in 2013, Iguodala's scoring, rebound and passing averages have gone down, as can be seen on his Basketball Reference page. Still, he's arguably played his best brand of basketball with the Warriors.
The thing about the way Iguodala plays is that the numbers will never truly do it justice.
Fans have to see Iguodala on the court to truly gain an appreciation for his unselfish style of play.
Iguodala is always more than willing to pass up a shot if it means that he can get the ball to a teammate who has a better chance to score.
On defense, Iguodala uses most of his energy trying to contain whoever happens to be the opposing team's best perimeter player, and that likely plays a big role in why he has less energy to expend on the other end of the floor.
So why does a player who possesses the ability to be a star in this league opt for being the ultimate glue guy?
A possible answer to that question was provided by Iguodala years ago.
A video posted on YouTube by AIAUSA shows Iguodala speaking to BeyondTheUltimate.com.
During that interview, Iguodala shed light on his beliefs, saying that he feels it is important for people to be salt for God. Iguodala wants to be "flavorful salt," something that people can depend on to add something of substance to their lives.
Iguodala then went on to say that he wants people to see God's work in the way that he plays.
That sentiment from Iguodala perfectly explains why he has turned into one of the most important players for the NBA's modern dynasty.
Iguodala understands the values of sharing, teamwork, unselfishness and how they can help elevate a group of players to greater heights. It's no coincidence that the Warriors were pushed to the brink of elimination when Iguodala was out due to injury, and it's also no surprise that he played a huge role in the Warriors claiming a huge win upon his return.
Iguodala is a prime example of a player whose values have helped shape his style of play, and he's enjoyed great success from letting that happen.
