#131 Golden State Warriors Forward Andre Iguodala: The Sixth Man

Guest: Andre Iguodala, forward for the Golden State Warriors

The average professional basketball career lasts around four years. By the first time Andre Iguodala came to play for the Golden State Warriors, in 2013, he was already on year 10 in the NBA. “All I wanted to do was get somewhere where I just truly enjoy going to work every day,” he says. And on his podcast with Evan Turner, Point Forward, he doesn’t shy away from the fact that being a famous and successful player comes with trade-offs. “When you make it ... you’re lifted up, like ‘you’re here to save us all,’” he explains. “There's so many things that go on with us as athletes that people don't get a opportunity to truly understand because there's two sides.”

In this episode, Andre and Joubin discuss the law of attraction, daily practice, former head coach Mark Jackson, Allen Iverson, the value of sports media, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf’s Tourette Syndrome, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the lowest point in Andre’s career, and pivoting to stay alive.

In this episode, we cover:

• What goes through Andre’s head when the game rests on his shoulders (01:17)
• Enjoying work every day and playing under head coach Steve Kerr (05:31)
• Avoiding the newspaper, and why he started a podcast (09:59)
• The trauma of success and basketball as a sanctuary (14:07)
• Playing against LeBron James and with Steph Curry (17:59)
• Being addicted to success and finding joy on the court (21:24)
• Kevin Durant’s work ethic (25:41)
• Are the wins or losses more memorable? (28:30)
• Being a student of the game (32:02)
• Why Andre’s memoir is called The Sixth Man, and what changes in the playoffs (35:34)
• His final season in the NBA, and being a part of the tech ecosystem (42:04)
• The qualities of great players, and the most memorable game of his career (45:50)

Links:

• Connect with Andre
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • His podcast, Point Forward
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins
• This episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm