EverythingTop10 is proud to present, “The Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Andre
Iguodala!”
#10.
The Iguodala family: Andre Tyler Iguodala was born in Springfield Illinois on January
28th, 1984 to his parents Leonard and Linda Shanklin.
His father is of Nigerian descent, which qualified Andre to play for the United States or Nigeria
on an international level.
Andre had one older brother, Frank Iguodala, who would go on to play Division One basketball
for Dayton University.
#9.
Iguodala’s Inspiration: Growing up in the state of Illinois during Michael Jordan’s
prime, Andre quickly gravitated towards the sport of basketball at a young age.
Basketball became a passion of Andre’s when he was as young as five years old.
Like many aspiring basketball players during the early 90’s, Andre’s favorite team
was the Chicago Bulls, and he looked up to Michael Jordan as a player to try to emulate.
#8.
Andre’s AAU Days: Iguodala’s passion for basketball was fueled by his drive.
Even in his youth, Andre was playing against top competition.
He was able to land a spot on the Illinois Warriors, an elite AAU team that has featured
players like Dwyane Wade and Quentin Richardson.
At just 15 years old, Andre led his AAU team to an Under-17 National Championship, hitting
the game-winning shot at the buzzer of the final game.
His performance earned him the AAU national tournament MVP award, as well as the attention
of a number of coaches and scouts.
#7.
Iguodala’s College Years: Andre Iguodala was a standout throughout high school and
was considered a four star recruit heading into college.
He was heavily recruited by a number of high level schools, such as Kansas and Georgia
Tech, but his heart was set on Arkansas after an influential visit to the campus of the
Razorbacks.
Andre would sign a National Letter of Intent to attend Arkansas University, but would later
rescind the decision in response to the firing of Arkansas head basketball coach Nolan Richardson.
Following his decommitment, Andre would choose to attend Arizona University.
Here, Iguodala would play beside a number of future NBA players, including Channing
Frye and Luke Walton.
Andre emerged as one of the nations most well-rounded players in his time at Arizona.
His athletic ability, size, and basketball IQ made for a productive player who interested
scouts at the next level, prompting him to declare for the NBA draft after two seasons
with the Wildcats.
#6.
The Rookie Check: Heading into the 2004 NBA Draft, Andre Iguodala was considered a player
with huge potential.
The Philadelphia 76ers would end up taking Andre with the 9th overall pick.
Andre recalls his first rookie contract, and what he bought with that money.
When asked what was purchased with his first NBA check, Iguodala said “a whole bunch
of pairs of Jordans, I spent like two or three grand and it felt like I spent a million dollars.
I didn’t know how to spend money.”
#5.
Iggy’s NBA journey: Andre started every single game in his 2004 rookie season on a
competitive Philadelphia 76ers team that featured Allen Iverson, Kyle Korver, and Chris Webber.
In his second season, Iguodala had established himself as a starter who continued to develop
as an athletic player who could effectively score, pass, and rebound the basketball.
By his fourth season in 2007-2008, Andre was the face of the 76ers franchise, leading the
76ers in scoring with 19.9 points per game.
He would go on to play eight seasons with the 76ers, and would go down as the 9th highest
scorer of all-time in 76ers history.
In 2012, Iguodala was involved in a three-team trade that saw him join the Denver Nuggets
to play out the last years of his contract.
After one fairly successful season in Denver, Andre would be traded to Golden State in early
July of 2013, where he would agree to a monster four-year, $48 million extension with the
Warriors.
#4.
Iguodala’s Legacy: Andre Iguodala has had one of the most accomplished basketball careers
that no one talks about.
He has done it all, both domestically and internationally.
In 2012, Andre would earn a Gold Medal with team USA when he was one of the 12 players
who was selected to represent the United States in the Olympic games.
Iguodala was also part of each of the three Championships the Warriors obtained since
the 2014-2015 season.
He even earned NBA Finals MVP for his heroics in a grueling six game series against LeBron
James and the Cavaliers.
On top of all of this hardware, Andre Iguodala has also been an All Star (2012) and First
team All-Defense (2014).
#3.
Iguodala the businessman: Andre Iguodala is increasingly becoming known for his moves
off the basketball court.
The small forward has an impressive business portfolio to add to his basketball credentials.
During the NBA lockout of 2011, Andre Iguodala used his time wisely by obtaining an internship
with investment and wealth management firm Merrill Lynch.
Since, Iguodala has taken advantage of his Silicon Valley surroundings and has become
a notorious investor in technology startups.
In addition to investments in Tesla, Twitter, and Facebook, Andre also has a board position
with African e-commerce company Jumia.
#2.
Iguodala’s Family: Andre Iguodala is married to Christina Gutierrez, his childhood sweetheart
who Andre has known since he was 15.
Andre has two children, his son Andre Tyler Iguodala II, and his daughter London Iguodala.
London Iguodala reportedly has an IQ of 151, which places her in the top 3% of IQ test
takers.
#1.
Iguodala’s Philanthropy: Andre has always taken responsibility when his community is
in need, no matter what team he has played for.
During his time with the 76ers, he founded the Andre Iguodala Book Drive, which led to
the donation of over 2,600 books to meet demands in Philadelphia.
Andre is also responsible for starting the Andre Iguodala Disaster Relief Fund, an organization
dedicated to assisting Iguodala’s hometown following a devastating Tornado in 2006.
In 2007, Andre Iguodala’s youth foundation was formed with the purpose of promoting youth
involvement in sports.
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