For a team in any sport to be successful, a certain level of sacrifice is required from individual players.
It’s not an egalitarian system where the player is asked to give up the same amount as the next guy. It’s up to the coach in order to juggle the schemes in whichever way optimizes player synergy.
A coach can only do so much, though. While he can put players in a position to thrive, those players ultimately have to buy into the system.
That takes a tremendous amount of faith, especially when it means that a guy will likely lose the type of stats he’s accustomed to.
It’s easy for fans to chastise players for not doing everything it takes to help a team function properly, but it’s not that easy.
This is a livelihood for these players, and to get them to sacrifice future earnings for the uncertain payoff of collective success isn’t an easy sell.
Contracts are largely based on precedent, and if teams pay players based on an objective set of numbers, less minutes per game will likely mean worse statistics, and less money.
Not to mention that these players are all ultra competitive, and want to be able to exert their talents as much as possible.
A player can end up feeling robbed of the very limited opportunity to leave their mark on the league by being asked to defer to other players.
Every now and then, though, there’s a player with the psyche to be able to feel fulfilled in a smaller role to allow other players to shine.
It takes a very confident player to have that type of security in their own ability. They don’t have to prove anything to anyone, except that they can be a part of something greater than themselves.
It’s why a lot of times these players are aging veterans who’ve already proven what they can do as marquee guys.
In a more cynical view, maybe they realize the need to reinvent themselves before their skills decline too drastically to make that transformation.
Whether it’s motivated by altruism or self awareness, intentions might be irrelevant when it leads to such great results.
An example I immediately think of is Ron Harper. He averaged over 20 points per game in 3 separate seasons for the Cavaliers and Clippers, but became a defensive stopper in Chicago.
He adapted his game to what the team needed. The Bulls had Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. They didn’t need Harper to score.
At 6’6’’, Harper was a nightmare for opposing point guards to have to go up against, which helped the Bulls more than his scoring would have.
He averaged 20.1 points per game during his last season in Los Angeles. He averaged 6.9 points the next season in Chicago.
Steve Kerr was on that Bulls team, and maybe he absorbed that lesson and applied it to when he had his own team to guide.
Two decades later, he would be the Warriors’ Phil Jackson, while Andre Iguodala would be the Warriors’ Ron Harper.
Both Kerr and Iguodala are University of Arizona alumni, so the trust was there immediately. There’s a strong bond between players who learned the game from Lute Olson.
Iguodala has had a fantastic career, and can speak from multiple perspectives in regards to his NBA journey.
Iguodala was born in Springfield, Illinois, giving him a close-up view of those remarkable Bulls teams lead by Jordan.
In his formative years, he also got to see Harper adjust to a new role on the team, although Iguodala probably had dreams of being the Jordan on a transcendent team rather than the Harper.
He certainly flashed the potential of a future star. He played on the same AAU team as Dwyane Wade and Quentin Richardson, and started garnering national buzz.
He attended Lanphier High School, and as a senior in 2002, he was named Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year, a Nike All-American, and a Second Team Parade All-American.
Iguodala originally signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Arkansas, but after Nolan Richardson was fired, he decided to attend Arizona instead.
While at Arizona, one of his teammates was Luke Walton, who would end up being an assistant coach on Kerr’s staff. Wildcats stick together.
As a freshman, Iguodala was named to the Pac-10 All Freshman Team. His next season he won team MVP, and made the All-Pac 10 First Team, as well as an honorable mention All-American spot from the AP.
He declared for the 2004 NBA draft, and was picked by the 76ers with the 9th overall pick, where he joined a backcourt with another guy with the initials A.I.
Allen Iverson and Iguodala were an exiting duo. Not only could Iguodala fill up a stat sheet with points, rebounds, and assists, but he was also one of the best dunkers in the league.
He participated in the 2006 Slam Dunk Contest, where he lost a very obviously rigged competition to Nate Robinson.
Yes it’s remarkable that Robinson can even dunk at all at 5’9’’, but if it was a true meritocracy, Iguodala would have taken home the trophy.
He had this incredible dunk where Iverson threw the ball off the side of the backboard and then Iguodala swept around under the hoop and slammed it home on the other side.
Iverson was traded during the 2006-2007 season, but Iguodala adjusted to Andre Miller playing alongside him, and the 76ers made the playoffs.
Iguodala finished the season by averaging 18.2 points per game, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. Only LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and Iguodala averaged a 18-5-5 stat line that year.
There were very few players who possessed the all-around game of Iguodala. When adding his defense to the equation, it elevated his status even more.
His seasons in Philadelphia were defined primarily by early playoff exits and being a constant threat for a triple-double.
2012 was his last season with the 76ers, and in a lot of ways his most rewarding. He was named to his first All Star team, and he won a playoff series for the first time in his career.
He was traded to the Nuggets during the 2012 offseason, and helped lead the Nuggets to a franchise record 57 regular season wins.
However, the Warriors upset them in the playoffs, and Iguodala ended up signing with the Warriors shortly thereafter.
The Warriors were pursuing both him and Dwight Howard that offseason, frantically clearing cap space to make a run at the two stars.
They couldn’t land Howard, but I think people can agree that they ended up getting the more valuable of the two.
As the starting small forward, Iguodala made the 2014 NBA All-Defensive First Team. He had previously made the NBA All-Defensive Second team in 2011.
The next season brought the biggest change Iguodala had ever had to experience. He’d been on multiple teams, but had largely the same role on them.
Kerr was taking over for a fired Mark Jackson, and while the team’s defense was great, their offense was stagnate.
A change needed to be made, and Kerr thought that Harrison Barnes would contribute more as a starter rather than as a bench player.
That would mean that Iguodala would be coming off the bench, something he hadn’t done even once in 10 NBA seasons.
Not every player of Iguodala’s prestige would have willingly embraced the role, but he did, and the team thrived.
They not only won the championship that season against the Cavaliers, but Iguodala was named Finals MVP for his offensive production as well as his smothering defense on James.
Iguodala didn’t even start until game 4 of that series, and not only became the first Finals MVP to win the award without starting every game in the Finals, but to also not start any games during the regular season.
Iguodala also primarily came off the bench in 2015-2016, but did start 1 game. The team continued to flourish, winning 73 games in the regular season before losing in game 7 of the Finals to the Cavaliers.
The selfless nature of this Warriors team is best embodied by Iguodala. He set the tone for the team-first attitude prevalent around the squad.
If he hadn’t have been as receptive to coming off the bench, the tension created might have ended up tearing the team apart.
Kevin Durant emphasized the Warriors’ incredible chemistry as a huge reason why he signed with the team, and Iguodala serves as the prime example as to why the team is so cohesive.
When other players see a star willingly embrace a lesser role for the good of the team, they follow that powerful example.
Iguodala is a leader, and whether he’s orchestrating the second unit on offense or locking down the opponent’s best perimeter player, the impact he makes on this team is substantial.