Ex-Golden State Warriors legend Andre Iguodala, who Max Kellerman once infamously said he preferred over Stephen Curry in a big moment, had some bold takes about the Warriors fanbase of late in a Q&A session with “Hoops Hype,” over a range of topics.
We’ll examine his thoughts on dynasties and a perceived entitlement creeping into the Warriors fanbase.
Warriors Fans Becoming “Entitled” Over Warriors Dynasty, According To Andre Iguodala
Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr recently described his Warriors as a “fading dynasty.” In a surprisingly candid take. Since then, his team has remained one of the best shot-creating teams in the league, leading the league in three-pointers made and attempted. The team has climbed to within 1.5 games of an automatic playoff spot after winning five of its last six games.
Attempting to gauge the temperature of the Warriors fanbase, Iguodala believes an entitlement has set in after their long-term success for the better part of a decade. He candidly spoke to “Hoops Hype“:
Iguodala said, “We have a very affluent economic level of fan base. Silicon Valley, the Bay Area. The Bay Area, in general, they’re great fan base. They always support the Warriors, even in bad times. And you saw another level of fans come from the Bay Area, and they got a little entitled, which is funny.”
Explaining how hard it is to win every year, let alone form a dynasty, fans can perhaps take it for granted, he argues:
“People forget how hard it is to win. Everyone’s asking about that dynasty, when will it die? It’s like, how many dynasties have there been in sports, period? You look at basketball, there’s been five, six, maybe?”
Iguodala added, “You have Boston, the Lakers have had two. Chicago, the Warriors. Spurs, too, although they never went back-to-back. But they are a dynasty. It’s really rare to see, and sometimes you can take it for granted.”
Dynasties are rare across sports, which makes them all the more special when they do come around. He touched on the handful of NBA dynasties through history.
Even stretching it beyond the NBA, the Brady-Belichick New England Patriots were among the NFL’s most prolific dynasties. Most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs could stake a claim to that moniker. In baseball, we are seeing a dynasty with the LA Dodgers, and prior to that, it was the 1990s-2000s Yankees.
As with all dynasties, there is a shelf life attached. Perhaps the Warriors have reached theirs, though Curry’s heroics at 37, cementing him as one of the greatest players of all time, keep their window open a crack.
Iguodala expressed awe in ‘Splash Brothers’ Curry and Klay Thompson, particularly Curry, who changed the NBA with their historic shooting:
“The effect that you’ve seen it have on a game of basketball, even how it’s played, I think, speaks volumes to Steph, Klay Thompson, their shooting ability, they just changed the game. I think you just got to appreciate it while it’s still here because what Steph’s doing at the level he’s still doing it at, oh my… But for him to be able to do it at age 37?!”
Iguodala won four titles with the Warriors over eight seasons with them in a storied 19-year career.
