The 2010s Warriors will forever go down in league history as one of the most dominant teams… But the things could have been very different! Indeed, a centerpiece of the franchise should never have signed in the Bay!
The history of the NBA has often been played out in details, decisions that seem insignificant at first glance, but which in the end have had a monstrous impact on the future. What the league would look like today if the Blazers decided to draft Michael Jordan in 1984 or Kevin Durant in 2007 ? Where would the Thunder be if they had extended James Harden rather than Serge Ibaka in 2012?
Among the Warriors, the dynasty of the mid-2010s ′ was also played on a succession of good decisions. For example, the three titles would not have been possible without the successive selections of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, or Draymond Green, who have been the soul of the franchise during this magnificent adventure.
And then in 2013, it was a decision made in Mark Cuban’s office in Dallas that allowed Golden State to launch the machine. Indeed, if we are to believe the anecdote told in JJ Redick’s podcast, Andre Iguodala was on the verge of signing with the Mavericks during this pivotal free agency! But faced with the lack of responsiveness of the leaders, he opted for the San Francisco Bay Area, and the rest is history.
In 2013, I got offers from Detroit and the Kings, but the negotiations went badly. So I decided to sign in Dallas. I was friends with Mark Cuban, I knew they wanted to win fast and I know they respect the players who win titles. I was also friends with Michael Finley, who had a role in the organization, and during a training session I told him that I wanted to sign. And then Dwight Howard decided to quit the Lakers …
Everyone knew he would sign in Houston, but strangely enough, he wanted to meet the Mavericks to negotiate. Mark Cuban told me he had to talk to Dwight and that I had to wait to hire … During the time Dallas was talking with Dwight Howard, I got a call from my agent to tell me the Warriors wanted me in a sign-and-trade. I signed up in the minute.
Because Dwight Howard decided to negotiate for several days with the Mavericks in 2013, Andre Iguodala had time to get closer to the Warriors. The rest of the story everyone knows: 3 NBA championship titles with a major role, and a title of MVP of the Finals in 2015 for his defense on LeBron James! Iggy can thank Howard for this!
Sans Andre Iguodala and his leadership, the Warriors would have had a harder time ruling the league than they did! It just goes to show that the story sometimes takes a few hours!
