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Andre Iguodala

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Andre Iguodala
Iguodala with the 76ers
No. 9 – Philadelphia 76ers
PositionShooting Guard / Small Forward
Personal information
Born (1984-01-28) January 28, 1984 (age 40)
Springfield, Illinois
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight207 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High schoolLanphier
CollegeArizona
NBA draft2004: 1st round, 9th overall pick
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Playing career2004–present
Career history
2004–presentPhiladelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com

Andre Tyler Iguodala (born January 28, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who plays small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Iguodala is listed at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) and 207 lbs. (94 kg). Iguodala played his high school basketball for Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois. He later attended the University of Arizona, playing for two years before declaring for the 2004 NBA Draft, where he was drafted 9th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. Iguodala is a swingman, meaning he can play the shooting guard or small forward positions. As an NBA player Iguodala is known for his ability to defend, his great athleticism and his ability to run his team playing the role of a point forward.

Early life and high school career

Iguodala was born in Springfield, Illinois. He is the son of Linda Shanklin. His older brother, Frank, played for Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois and the University of Dayton.[1] His mother is of African American descent while his father is of Nigerian descent.[2] Iguodala rooted for Michael Jordan and Penny Hardaway growing up [3] Iguodala attended high school at Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois, a school that had produced other athletes, most notably baseball Hall of Famer Robin Roberts and basketball guard Kevin Gamble. At Lanphier, he did well academically and athletically; he gained All-Conference academic honors, became a member of the National Honor Roll, and was a State Journal Student-Athlete of the Week several times.[4] He led the team as a senior to a runner-up finish at the Illinois High School Association Class AA state tournament in the 2002 season. That season, he averaged 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He was named Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year as well as a second team Parade All-American and Nike All-American. Iguodala was also one of the leading candidates for the Illinois Mr. Basketball award.[4] During the summer of 2000, he grabbed the attention of coaches around the nation as he was named the AAU national tournament Most Valuable Player after hitting the game-winning shot at the final buzzer to give his team the 17-and-under national title. Iguodala played in the 2002 Jordan Brand Classic in Washington DC. In 22 minutes of play, Iguodala put up six points on 3-6 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Aside from basketball, Iguodala gained three letters in track.[2] Iguodala played AAU basketball under Larry Butler and the Illinois Warriors, the team that has featured other professional players such as Dwyane Wade, Quentin Richardson, and Jon Scheyer.

College career

Iguodala initially signed a National Letter of Intent to play at the University of Arkansas. He had narrowed down his list of desired schools to two: Kansas or Arkansas. Iguodala was enticed by Arkansas due to the fact that they played in the 1-3 system, which would allow Iguodala to run the point occasionally. Iguodala visited the Arkansas campus and was impressed by their large gymnasium and the amount of fans at a practice while he visited with his mother and father.[5] However, after their coach, Nolan Richardson, was fired that year (2002) and Iguodala decided to attend the University of Arizona instead to play for the Wildcats. At Arizona he joined future NBA players Channing Frye, Luke Walton, Mustafa Shakur, Salim Stoudamire and Hassan Adams. One of the determining factors for Iguodala was the commitment of Hassan Adams, whom Iguodala had played with in the Jordan Brand Classic in high school. Many colleges regarded Iguodala as a track star turned basketball player but teammate Luke Walton said, "He is going to be one of the best players to ever come out of Arizona by the time he is done here." He was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshmen team for 2002–2003. In his freshman year he quickly established himself as one of the best all-around players on the team, ranking in the top 5 for his team in just about every major category. In the 2003–2004 season, Iguodala was named team MVP after leading his team in rebounds, assists and steals. He also made the All-Pac 10 team and was named Honorable Mention All-America by The Associated Press. He collected three triple-doubles that season, joining Jason Kidd as the only two players in Pac-10 history to post two or more triple-doubles in a season. During his career at Arizona, the Wildcats made it to the NCAA Tournament every year. In his freshman year the Wildcats were defeated in the Elite Eight by the University of Kansas. In his sophomore year Arizona was defeated in the first round by Seton Hall University. After posting career totals of 594 points (9.6 ppg), 409 rebounds (6.6 rpg) and 95 steals (1.53 spg) in 62 games (34 starts) he left to enter the NBA draft. At Arizona, Iguodala planned to major in education.[2]

NBA career

Rookie season

Iguodala was selected 9th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. When Iguodala was selected, ESPN personality Dick Vitale commented that it was a mistake for the Sixers to take him, saying "Iguodala was a [27 percent] shooter from the college three-point line. He's not going to be able to play", Iguodala used this as motivation as what proved to be a very productive rookie season.[6] Iguodala was thrust into the starting lineup immediately during his rookie season and was the only 76er to play and start all 82 regular season games plus 5 playoff games, becoming a favorite target of Allen Iverson in the process, often connecting on highlight-reel dunks on passes or alley-oops from Iverson. Andre Iguodala proved his versatility, as he was the only rookie and Sixer to record a triple-double that season, doing it against the Detroit Pistons. In the game he scored 10 points, caught 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists. During the season he averaged 9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. His efforts were rewarded when he was named to the All-Rookie First Team and started on the rookie team during the Rookie Challenge portion of All-Star Weekend.[7][8] Until February 2005, Iguodala wore jersey number 4, but allowed newly-acquired 76ers member, Chris Webber, to wear it instead. Webber then bought Iguodala a Rolex watch as a present for allowing him to wear the number 4.

2005-06 season

On February 17, 2006, at the Rookie Challenge in Houston during the NBA All-Star Weekend, Andre won MVP honours for his 30-point performance. A day later, he participated in the Slam Dunk Contest. His first dunk was a simple windmill, but then for his second dunk he received a pass from Allen Iverson off the back side of the backboard, then leapt under the board and put in the reverse on the other side. He received "50 points" for pulling off this unique dunk. In the final round he did a behind-the-back dunk and followed with a reverse. Although many fans at Toyota Center felt that Iguodala should have won the contest, the award was given to Robinson, who won by a point.[9]

Towards the end of the season Iguodala went on to average 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds.

2006–07 season

After Allen Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two 2007 first-round draft picks. Iguodala would have to get accustomed to play with Andre Miller, who was a different type of point guard than Allen Iverson. It was evident that Iguodala would have to step up and become the franchise player. Before the Iverson trade the 76ers were a dreadful 5-18. After Iverson's departure, the Sixers got on a late run, finishing the rest of the season 30-29 and almost clinching the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. He went on to finish the season with averages of 18.2 points, along with 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists. During the season Iguodala was one of four players to post up at least 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. The others were LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady.

2007–08 season

Iguodala got off to a slow start to the season, even to a point when he was leading the league in turnovers. He began to step up his game as the season went on, leading Philadelphia to a playoff berth. The 76ers finished the season at 40–42, winning 22 of their last 29 games and earning a playoff spot with a victory over the Atlanta Hawks on April 4. Iguodala averaged a career-high 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game through the 82 games. Philadelphia was set to face the #2 seed Detroit. In the playoffs the Sixers lost in the first round to the Pistons in 6 games after leading the series 2–1. Iguodala had a poor playoffs series, averaging 13 points per game. On August 12, 2008 Andre Iguodala reportedly agreed to a six-year, $80 million contract extension with the Sixers.[10] He officially signed on August 17, 2008.[11] The contract has $5 million in bonuses and a player option for the sixth year.

2008–09 season

Early during the year, Iguodala was on a Sixers team with high expectations after signing All-Star forward Elton Brand and seeing the success of forward Thaddeus Young, whom they drafted with their lottery pick the prior year. Iguodala developed into more of a primary player in the 2008-09 season, becoming more active as both a facilitator on offense and a leader of his team. During the regular season he hit several buzzer beaters, most notably a game winning three-pointer he hit while being defended by Trevor Ariza against the Los Angeles Lakers. Early into the season, Philadelphia was struggling, which led to the departure of head coach Maurice Cheeks. The 76ers played much better basketball under Tony DiLeo. In his last year with co-captain and veteran point guard Andre Miller, Iguodala brought th Sixers to another playoff berth, finishing the season with a 41-41 (.500) season record, 6th in the Eastern conference. In the playoffs the 76ers were set to face the third seed Orlando Magic. In Game 1, Orlando had an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia made an amazing comeback led by Iguodala, eventually scoring a step-back, fadeaway jumper in the face of Hedo Turkoglu with 2.2 seconds remaining to give the Sixers the win. Unfortunately, the Sixers eventually fell to the Magic in the Playoffs, failing to reach the second round. Andre had a great series, averaging 21.5 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game and 6.7 assists per game. Iguodala had averaged 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game through 82 regular-season games.

2009-10 season

Iguodala pulls up for a jumper while defended by Mikki Moore.

In the preseason Philadelphia drafted point guard Jrue Holiday out of UCLA to take over the void left at point guard after the departure of veteran point guard Andre Miller, who had joined the Portland Trail Blazers. The Sixers hired coach Eddie Jordan to take over for Tony DiLeo. Iguodala averaged career bests in rebounds, assists, and blocks, and a career low in personal fouls. He finished the season averaging 17.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.8 apg, and 1.7 spg. The Sixers, however, were a big disappointment, going only 27-55 during the regular season and missing the playoffs after two straight playoff berths. During the season the 76ers brought Iguodala's old friend Allen Iverson back in what would be his final season in the NBA before going to play overseas for Bestikas. Iguodala averaged career bests in rebounds, assists, and blocks, and a career low in personal fouls. He finished the season averaging 17.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.8 apg.

2010-11 season

Coming into the 2010-11 NBA season, the 76ers were expected to rebound from their poor season. The Sixers fired head coach Eddie Jordan and brought in Doug Collins. Philadelphia also traded veteran big man Samuel Dalembert to the Sacramento Kings for a younger center Spencer Hawes; the 76ers also acquired Andrés Nocioni in the deal. With the second overall pick in the draft, the Sixers made a big splash by drafting Evan Turner. Philadelphia started the season poorly but were one of the best teams down the strech. During the season, Iguodala had career lows in games played and started, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage, and steals per game as the 76ers finished with a 41-41 record. However, he also had his career-best season in assists with 6.3 apg and helped the Sixers make the playoffs with the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Iguodala was praised as a perimeter defender throughout the course of the season. During the year, Andre was the victim of multiple trade rumors that had him being traded to either the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers or Los Angeles Lakers. In the playoffs, Iguodala had the tough assignment of guarding LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the first round. The 76ers were eventually defeated in 5 games. For his defensive efforts throughout the season, Iguodala was named to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team. He showed his versatility during the season posting up a career high in triple-doubles. Iguodala was second behind LeBron James for most triple-doubles during the 2010-11 season.

2011-12 season

On his 28th birthday, Iguodala recorded a 10 point, 10 rebound, 10 assist triple-double effort in a win over the Detroit Pistons. Later that season, he was selected to his first All-Star Game as a reserve.

Team USA Basketball

Iguodala strips Linas Kleiza as a member of Team USA.
Andre Iguodala
Medal record
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2010 Turkey Team competition
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Isla Margarita Team competition

Iguodala was a member of the USA men's national basketball team in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, winning the gold medal with 11 other NBA players: Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Tyson Chandler, Russell Westbrook, Lamar Odom, Chauncey Billups, Danny Granger, Stephen Curry, Kevin Love, Rudy Gay, and Eric Gordon. In the FIBA World Championships Iguodala displayed his athleticism with an array of fastbreak dunks.

Personal life

Iguodala was married to Clayanna Warthen, who is a model in hip hop music videos. The two divorced and Iguodala was sued by Warthen for child support after the divorce. Iguodala has two children, a daughter named London and a son named Andre Tyler II.[12]

Iguodala enjoys eating vegetables, saying that he used to eat raw broccoli and cauliflower as a kid and always enjoyed eating salads. [13]

Iguodala is represented by agent Rob Pelinka, who has represented other NBA All-Stars such as Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer and Gerald Wallace.

Iguodala has participated in many charities over his career, participating in the 76ers Drive for Kids program and in his own book drive, leading to the donation of over 2,600 books to the Philadelphia READS foundation. Iguodala was also part of a Caps for Kids drive that donated over 1,000 hats to Philadelphia children's hospitals. Iguodala also began the Andre Iguodala Disaster relief fund that donated money to tornado victims in his hometown of Springfield. For his efforts Iguodala was recognized as one of The Sporting News's good guys of 2006.[2]

In his free time Iguodala enjoys reading and playing videogames particularly the NBA 2K series. Iguodala played in a tournament put together at the NBA 2K10 launch party in New York. Iguodala faced off against other NBA players Nate Robinson, Brook Lopez, Rajon Rondo before facing and defeating hip-hop artist Wale in the finals.[14]

Iguodala's jersey is retired at Lanphier High School.

Iguodala is a member of Nike basketball he usually wears the Nike Shox, Hyperdunk, Zoom Skyposite or Hyperfuse models in games.[15]

Iguodala owns homes in Sherman Oaks, California and West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.[16]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2004–05 Philadelphia 82 82 32.8 .493 .331 .743 5.7 3.0 1.7 .6 9.0
2005–06 Philadelphia 82 82 37.6 .500 .354 .754 5.9 3.1 1.6 .3 12.3
2006–07 Philadelphia 76 76 40.3 .447 .310 .820 5.7 5.7 2.0 .4 18.2
2007–08 Philadelphia 82 82 39.5 .456 .329 .721 5.4 4.8 2.1 .6 19.9
2008–09 Philadelphia 82 82 39.9 .473 .307 .724 5.7 5.3 1.6 .4 18.8
2009–10 Philadelphia 82 82 38.9 .443 .310 .733 6.5 5.8 1.7 .7 17.1
2010-11 Philadelphia 67 67 36.9 .445 .337 .693 5.8 6.3 1.5 .6 14.1
Career 553 553 38.0 .462 .323 .745 5.8 4.8 1.8 .5 15.6

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2004–05 Philadelphia 5 5 38.4 .465 .333 .500 4.6 3.0 2.8 1.0 9.8
2007–08 Philadelphia 6 6 39.0 .333 .143 .721 4.8 5.0 2.2 .2 13.2
2008–09 Philadelphia 6 6 44.8 .449 .393 .652 6.3 6.7 1.8 .0 21.5
2010–11 Philadelphia 5 5 36.4 .423 .214 .714 7.0 6.8 1.0 .4 11.4
Career 22 22 39.9 .416 .292 .670 5.7 5.4 2.0 .4 14.3

Notes

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