Andre Iguodala’s patience this season was a gamble, but it ultimately paid off, landing him in South Beach with a two-year, $30 million extension with the Heat.
Iguodala, 36, says players need to learn “what you can and can’t leverage.”
The veteran forward holds no ill towards the frustrated, younger Memphis Grizzlies teammates he refused to join after being traded there last summer.
Per The Undefeated:
What is your message to players?
Iguodala: “What I’ve learned is you got to learn what you can and can’t leverage. You got to know your situation. And then, you also have to understand more so than anything is that any opportunity can come at anytime. And you have to be prepared for it. You got to have a broad understanding of the history of the game, the business of the game. You have to know the people that are really well-respected throughout the league. Pat (Riley) is one of those guys. My homework was done before. (The Heat) kind of came in late as a team. They were really smart. If you get in too early, you can get leveraged because you show you have interest. Then, you can be used as leverage for someone else. They moved in silence, which was pretty smart.”
What was your reaction to what the young players were saying in Memphis about you?
Iguodala: “You got to take everything with a grain of salt. Rules shift from time to time across generations. There is a 10-15 year age difference. They don’t move how we move and the same wasn’t said about us when we were that age. ‘What are young guys doing now? What is respectful now?’ … It’s different.
“So, I don’t look at it as personal. I don’t know if it’s from them. But the only thing I will tell them is that I love them. Those are my guys. (DeMar) DeRozan said Lou Williams. He said, ‘Lou is my brother and he would give him his last dollar.’ I feel the same way about every player in this league. I felt the same way about those two guys. Ja (Morant) is going to be Rookie of the Year and he is playing amazing basketball. I’ve been watching him this year even though I knew we’d never be teammates. This guy is a talent.”
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