It’s been more than two years since Andre Iguodala and the Memphis Grizzlies parted ways.
A lot has happened in that time, including Memphis’ ascension to the NBA’s upper stratosphere. Following Monday night’s 123-95 drubbing of the Warriors, the Grizzlies are now 53-23 and a virtual lock to finish as the West’s No. 2 seed. They sit five games ahead of Golden State (48-28), which is scuffling without Steph Curry.
There’s something special going on in Memphis. Dillon Brooks knows it. Sounds like he’s happy Iguodala isn’t a part of it, either.
Golden State traded Iguodala to Memphis following the 2019 season but he never suited up for the Grizzlies before getting shipped to the Miami Heat midseason. From his introduction, Monday night, the Memphis crowd booed Iguodala heavily. In the third quarter, Iguodala and Brooks chirped at each other during a dead ball. After the game, Brooks discussed the dynamic of having Iguodala back in the arena.
“We developed a lot,” Brooks said. “We all had the vision and he didn’t, which is perfect. Send him back to the Warriors and let him do his thing over there. From the beginning, we were growing a base, we had a base, and we just kept building and building and building, and more guys got on the train and we were able to create something like this and keep building this dynasty.”
There’s a lot to unpack there – and the clip has made waves within Dub Nation. Many are quick to point out the hollow “dynasty” jab, as the Grizzlies are good but haven’t won a championship yet, let alone three. The other sharp remarks about Iguodala are to be expected, though.
Brooks’ stance on Iguodala has been public since at least Feb. 3, 2020, when veteran NBA insider David Aldridge reported that Iguodala was prepared to sit out the rest of the season unless the Grizzlies found a trade partner for him. Brooks and Morant – who was in the midst of his rookie season – voiced their opinions.
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) February 4, 2020
From the outside, it appeared that Iguodala simply didn’t want to play for a Grizzlies team that wasn’t established yet and finished with a 34-39 record. But during his postgame press conference Monday – one where he couldn’t sit down due to a balky back – Iguodala addressed his return to Memphis and the situation from his perspective.
“This is my second time playing here and that’s just a part of how sports and fans have become,” Iguodala said. “They’re more into the games with their emotions and feelings. Obviously, the narrative that can be driven – especially from those that are of wealth – that control the media, and are in ownership position, they can kinda control the narrative of what goes out there. I’m understanding that the true story isn’t always going to get out there. You deal with it and you move forward.”
Iguodala is renowned for his business acumen and ability to see basketball on a bigger plane than most of his peers. This quote gives us insight into his thinking, as he’s clearly talking about a larger, institutionalized issue at hand.
Listen to Bay Area sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest Warriors team gear
If you’re wondering, the Grizzlies are owned by 44-year-old tech billionaire Robert J. Pera, who made his fortune by going Ubiquiti Networks in 2011, before buying the Grizzlies at the age of 34. The Warriors are co-owned by Joe Lacob, who made his fortune in venture capitalism, and Peter Guber, the CEO of Mandalay Entertainment, which produces movies, television, digital media and sports entertainment. 95.7 The Game is the radio home of the Warriors. Bally’s Sports Southeast/Fox Sports Southeast have held the Grizzlies exclusive broadcast rights, while the Warriors are partners with NBC Sports Bay Area.
After spending 2013-19 with Golden State, Iguodala re-signed with the Warriors for the veteran minimum this past offseason. Monday’s contest marked Iguodala’s first game action in seven weeks. In that time, he has debuted a podcast called “Point Forward” with former NBA player Evan Turner, while sharing his very candid thoughts on the league, the Warriors and Lacob.
“That’s why you start seeing athletes speaking out a bit more and having their own platforms,” Iguodala said. “We had a journalist, Chris Broussard say, ‘Why are athletes taking our jobs as journalists?’ I feel like we have a platform and it’s always been that relationship where it’s just shut up and play. It’s part of that we’re not speaking up enough about. I’m just fortunate enough to now be in a situation where I can kinda explore that avenue of, ‘What was the athlete really thinking?’ and get that out more. To me, it’s really a sad situation that kinda upsets me, but I understand the foundations of America and really how that’s been working, especially against someone who looks like me.”
So, if you were expecting a petty response from Iguodala, that’s not what he delivered. From social power structures to racism, there are clearly deep behind-the-scenes layers to this entire situation for Iguodala.
For what it’s worth, he played 15:38 Monday night, scoring six points with three rebounds and two assists. He promptly hit a 3-point upon entering in the first quarter but was booed every time he touched the ball the rest of the night.
