With former Miami Heat veteran Andre Iguodala now set to close out his career with the Golden State Warriors, he spoke about the different approaches toward winning between the Heat and Warriors.
The 37-year-old Iguodala previously played with the Warriors for six seasons from 2013 to 2019 and was a part of three NBA title teams and five consecutive Western Conference championships. Declining to play with the Memphis Grizzlies after the Warriors traded him, he was then dealt to the Heat and competed in the 2020 NBA Finals.
Getting to the finals with each team allowed Iguodala see how the Warriors’ seemingly mellow attitude toward the ultimate goal of a championship was a key to their success.
“You had a lot of veteran guys who knew how to get their work in and everyone could go out there on their own pace,” Iguodala said of his run in Golden State. “It was kind of just all-inviting vibes, where it was carefree, relaxing and it was kind of like Hawaiian-type vibes.”
In contrast, the level of intensity from the Heat organization and the players toward that same goal of an NBA title proved to be markedly different.
“It was the other end of the spectrum, where it was ultra-focused,” he said about the Heat. “We had a drill called Hunger Games, where it was exactly what it sounds like from the movie — when you’re talking about to the death. That’s when I learned to appreciate different approaches.”
Iguodala was a central component of the Warriors 2015 NBA title, winning Finals MVP, before then remaining an unsung part of the team’s lineup for the remainder of his first stay.
While Iguodala wasn’t able to aid the Heat in their title efforts during his stay, the hope is that his now-former teammates have absorbed some of his winning approach for the 2021-22 campaign.
