The Golden State Warriors will take on the Houston Rockets on Monday night in Game 1 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals. The Warriors will look to make a fourth straight trip to the Finals and win their third title in the last four years.
A big reason why the Warriors have been able to sustain their success is the play of Andre Iguodala.
The 34-year-old was selected in the first round (eighth overall) by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2004. He played nine seasons in the City of Brotherly Love before being traded to Denver in August of 2012.
After one season with the Nuggets, Iguodala signed a four-year deal with the Golden State Warriors and reached the pinnacle of pro basketball, winning the title in 2015. For his play against LeBron James, Iguodala was awarded the NBA Finals MVP, becoming the first player to win Finals MVP after not starting a game during the regular season.
Transforming his role from starter to two-way glue guy off the bench, Iguodala once again helped Golden State win a second championship in 2017, scoring 20 points in the Game 5 clincher over Cleveland.
In the summer of 2017, Iguodala signed a three-year, $48 million contract to remain in Oakland, and once again he has his team on the verge of another NBA Finals appearance.
Iguodala is also a follower of Jesus Christ and frequently attends chapel before games. In 2012, when he was a member of Team USA, Andre talked with AIA about the importance of being a proper representative of God.
“I think the biggest thing is about being salt. Talking about how dependent everyone was on salt. How they kept their food from spoiling. And we need to be salt for God. We’re just trying to be flavorful salt. When people see us, when we’re on the court, we want them to see God’s word. We want to be a good representation of what we believe in,” he said.
After winning the 2015 NBA Finals, Iguodala stood at the podium and used his platform to point people back to Jesus.
“We got a team full of believers,” Iguodala said. “We all go to chapel before every game. We all believe and we all say God has a way for you — a purpose for you. This is my purpose.”
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Warriors and Rockets tips off in Houston at 9 p.m. ET Monday.
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