One text from Klay gave Iguodala a harsh realization about Dubs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
While the Denver Nuggets await their NBA Finals opponent and the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat throw haymakers at each other to get there, the Warriors watch from summer vacation.
It’s a new experience for the dynastic core in the Bay.
On the latest “Point Forward” podcast, Golden State veteran Andre Iguodala revealed the moment it really hit him that the Warriors are vacationing instead of fighting for a fifth championship in the NBA playoffs.
“I got a text from Klay Thompson,” Iguodala told co-host Evan Turner. ” … He said, ‘Hey are you playing golf anytime soon?’ I’m like, oh, Klay wants to hang out.
“That’s when I knew he’s bored. And then I looked at what time it was and the date, and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s not used to not working right now at this time.’ That’s when it hit me — oh, this is different. So, it’s like a slap in the face.”
The Warriors made the playoffs in all eight seasons Iguodala spent in the Bay Area. They lost in the first round of the 2014 playoffs but advanced to the NBA Finals in his next six campaigns in the Bay, a streak that lasted until LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers ended the Warriors’ 2022-23 season in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Golden State missed the postseason bracket in 2020 and 2021, but Iguodala was with the Miami Heat and Thompson was busy rehabbing from a pair of season-ending injuries. They both returned healthy to the Bay last season and were celebrating an NBA championship in San Francisco last summer.
Setting tee times in May really is a new — and unwelcome — task for the four-time champions.
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