Andre Iguodala spoke about the bad sides of the Miami Heat’s culture on The Old Man & the Three podcast. However, he also clears up misconceptions about the team and delves into the good aspects of the team’s culture, too.
The Good And Bad Sides: The Bad
The forward’s second year on the Heat was terrible since they were last in the league for wide-open shot percentage.
The stress of fans’ expectations and being focused on the win gets to the team. It doesn’t only get to the players but the coaches as well.
The coaching staff pressured the players to never miss wide-open shots, but it had the opposite effect. The players couldn’t land those shots, leading to more team instability.
Iguodala emphasizes the anxiety of making misplays and how this could have caused the team to make more mistakes than they should have.
“Your brain is always locked in of like, ‘Don’t make mistakes sometimes.’ ‘Cause you’re so locked in, we missed a whole lot of open shots. If Duncan missed a wide-open shot, you would think the world’s about to end.”
Andre Iguodala
The Good And Bad Sides: The Good
Iguodala equates his Heat practice apparel to prison jumpsuits and flip-flops. However, he emphasizes that it’s not a bad thing.
When the team handed him his practice gear, he turned it down at first. The Golden State Warriors player thought that he already had experience in the league and wouldn’t need knee pads and a mouthpiece.
“I don’t need that, I don’t wear knee braces or mouth pieces. I’ve been in the league for 15, 16 years. I’ve had success.”
Andre Iguodala
However, the team didn’t take “no” for an answer. Eventually, Iguodala gave in and “embraced” the gear. He realized the equipment was irreplaceable for longevity since he thinks the Heat plays harder than most teams.
It’s good that the team looks out for their players since not everyone can be as healthy as LeBron James.
What About The Warriors?
Iguodala’s learnings from the Heat carried over to his current team. However, it’s the opposite problem now.
He notices the team doesn’t seem focused at times, and he’s the one that has to remind them to “lock in.”
Furthermore, he calls his teammates out for giving too many turnovers, which shows a lack of focus.
“We know we gon’ win, but come on. Let’s lock in.”
Andre Iguodala
Clearly, the former All-Star learned a lot from his former teams’ good and bad sides, and he’s not afraid to use it to win.
That’s not the only thing he’s learned during his extensive stay in the league, though. He thinks the newer generations aren’t treating the league’s competition with respect.
