It's no doubt that the roster that has graced the Warriors locker room within what has been a little over half of the past decade has been the franchise's most historic to date and certainly one of the league's most iconic. So as the free agency period shakes up Golden State's core, with the likes of Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala moving to other squads this season, the organization has made the decision to put their jerseys to rest, commemorating the players' time with the team.
While the Warriors already suggested their intent to retire Durant's No. 35, Warriors Co-Chairman & CEO Joe Lacob also released a statement confirming the decision to retire Iguodala's No. 9.
"During the summer of 2013, we went through an extensive free agency process in our efforts to sign Andre Iguodala. At that time, we envisioned him becoming a vital part of a young, up-and-coming team with championship aspirations. As we look back six years later, we actually underestimated what his value would be to our team, both on the court and in the locker room," Lacob penned in a statement. "In what has been well-documented, Andre sacrificed for the betterment of our team and, in one of the best stories of this journey, earned NBA Finals MVP honors in 2015. He has been absolutely vital to our success during five consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals and three championships. We thank Andre for his contributions and look forward to seeing his number in the rafters at Chase Center."
Iguodala was traded to Memphis early in the free agency period in a deal that gave the Grizzlies the veteran swingman and a protected first-round draft pick in exchange for Julian Washburn.
During his time with the Warriors, he would play 413 regular season games, averaging 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game.