# Iguodala can go home again..



## Coatesvillain

> Andre Iguodala came home to Springfield this week determined to show he has no short-term memory loss.
> 
> Yes, he's 21 with one NBA season under his belt. But that doesn't mean the Lanphier High School graduate has put Springfield in the rearview mirror. In fact, Iguodala's priority when it comes to his hometown has been to give rather than take.
> 
> "There are a lot of things that I am trying to do, and I'm working on setting that up, but that will come after I get into the league a bit more," he said. "I know I also have to take care of business on the floor first."
> 
> This week was all about Springfield for the Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard. He hosted a week-long youth basketball camp at The Gym, delighting campers by slamming alley-oop dunks while doling out tips on how to improve their game.
> 
> The highlight is today's celebrity vs. media basketball game at Southeast's Scheffler Gymnasium that will include "That's So Raven" cast members Orlando Brown and Johnathan McDaniel, "The Parkers" Ken Lawson and Nana Gbewonyo from the movie "Coach Carter."
> 
> That will be followed by a party at Club 217 on the city's southeast side in which Iguodala intends to wrap up the week on a fun and safe note.
> 
> "People aren't going to have to worry," he said. "There's going to be plenty of security."
> 
> Iguodala, the 76ers' top draft pick (No. 9 overall) in 2004, said this week was the first step in a master plan for community-related events akin to some that helped him as a child.
> 
> "I'm going to set up a foundation, but that's going to come a little later," he said. "But there are of lot of things I'm trying to do for Springfield."
> 
> Part of the giving-back process has included contributions to local high school basketball programs. The proceeds of this weekend's celebrity game will benefit Team Springfield and fund its trip to the national championship tournament next month in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
> 
> Iguodala's mother, Linda Shanklin, gets most of the credit for her sons' sense of responsibility, stressing discipline and focus in athletics and academics for Andre and his older brother, Frank.
> 
> Shanklin admits to being a bit surprised at Andre's off-the-court maturity.
> 
> "People stop and listen to him, and he's not just talking to be talking," she said. "Although Andre would rather be off by himself if he had the chance . . . "
> 
> Shanklin recalled a conversation Iguodala had with former Southeast player B.J. Frazier, who now resides in the Atlanta area, about keeping his priorities straight.
> 
> "Andre just stayed on him about grades and said how he was going to call and keep track of him," she said. "Those are the kinds of conversations I see him have and keep having. Sometimes, I just stand there and see what I might learn."
> 
> Frank Iguodala, a Southeast graduate, earned a degree in business and finance from the University of Dayton. He currently works for an insurance firm near Philadelphia and lived with Andre last season. Frank Iguodala is expected to play in today's game.
> 
> Both Dayton and Arizona, where Andre attended for two years before declaring for the NBA, reached the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Andre still brags on Frank's skills.
> 
> "He could go play somewhere,'' Andre says. "He can still play. And as far as jumping ability, Frank jumps higher than me."
> 
> Then came the dig at big brother.
> 
> "But he ain't close in anything else," he said.
> 
> One thing Shanklin learned was how people on the outside are trying to do their best to get in.
> 
> Although still residing in Springfield with her husband Leonard Shanklin, an exchange at a local hairdresser showed Shanklin how people believed her son's success had her going on to bigger and better things.
> 
> "This woman walks into this shop where my sister is getting her hair done and starts talking," she said, laughing. "She says I'm getting ready to move to Philadelphia, and we've bought this winter home down in Florida.
> 
> "I don't know the woman, and as far as I know, she doesn't know me. But if I have a home down in Florida, I wish someone would take me to it."
> 
> Iguodala played in every regular-season and playoff game this season, averaging 9.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in 87 games in earning a spot on the all-rookie team. He was fourth in Rookie of the Year voting.
> 
> In a question-and-answer session on the Sixers' Web site, team president Billy King said Iguodala's progression through the season was more akin to a player with several years' experience.
> 
> "I think his maturity level along with his athletic ability allowed him to be the player he was this year," he said. "And if Andre has the same season he had this year, we are going to say 'great.' The expectations we put on him is to be Andre."
> 
> Normally assigned to the opposition's leading scorer, Iguodala finished sixth in the league in steals (138), eighth in steals per game (1.68) and was 14th in steals per 48 minutes (2.47).
> 
> His main assignment was to deal with the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, Boston's Paul Pierce or Cleveland's LeBron James, among others, while also being expected to make a reasonable contribution offensively and staying healthy through the grueling season.
> 
> "It was amazing coming from college to the NBA that he was able to sustain it without any problem," Sixers' senior vice president and assistant general manager Tony DiLeo said in a phone interview. "That was an accomplishment. We really like the group of young players on the team."
> 
> Kevin Gamble, the men's basketball coach at the University of Illinois at Springfield, played for 11 seasons in the NBA. Gamble, also a Lanphier graduate, noted Iguodala is ahead of the curve.
> 
> "He's not your typical rookie,'' Gamble says. "He's always had his body in condition. He's lifted weights and gotten strong.
> 
> "Andre is a smart kid. He knew what kind of impact he was going to have. The money situation, you have to be humble, and I think he is humble. But he's also in position to do some things."
> 
> Iguodala's salary has never been officially disclosed, but NBA players drafted in the first round receive a guaranteed three-year contract with a team option for a fourth year. According to insidehoops.com, a team's top draft pick is guaranteed an average of just over $3.4 million per year.
> 
> Virtually every night during the season an Iguodala dunk was captured on an ESPN highlight reel. His exploits in coming through the ranks are the subject of "NBA Rookies," a six-part series currently showing on Spike TV.


LINK

There's more in the link..

Nice little article on Iguodala, it's cool to see he has such a solid head on his shoulders. This article also backs up the fact that Andre has a serious work ethic, I mean he played as well as he did last year and basically didn't hit the rookie wall, now that he knows what it takes to get through a full season now he'll know what it takes to be a star throughout a full season.


----------



## Sixerfanforlife

We need players like Iggy, if we continue stuff like this if we don't win a title, at least we are making life on earth a bit easyer. He's a nice guy and I think we're lucky to have him and shouldn't judge by bling bling, but what he's done, He's a hall of famer in my books even after one season, A guy like this can NEVER change, that's what I love about the guy when he plays.


----------



## JT

*and by good, i mean damned good*

i really like this guy. he is a solid player. and by solid, i mean good.


----------



## Coatesvillain

*Re: and by good, i mean damned good*



> Andre Iguodala's biggest concern on Saturday was for things to go right in his first Celebrity Basketball Game at Southeast High School.
> 
> The only thing he couldn't control was the temperature inside Scheffler Gymnasium.
> 
> Everything else continued the success that has touched the Philadelphia 76ers rookie this past NBA season, as a successful - and hot - inaugural game was won by the Local Celebrities 115-113 over the Celebrity Team on a jumper by Iguodala at the buzzer.
> 
> "This is a good feeling," the Lanphier High School graduate said. "I wanted to have fun with the kids and for everyone to have a good time."
> 
> The game was a fund-raiser for Team Springfield of the Central Illinois Youth Basketball Association, which recently qualified for the AAU National Boys Basketball Tournament in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
> 
> The crowd, which filled the steamy gym, responded to play and playing around from both teams, but had its attention completely captured by the effort of Iguodala, who played in the second half with the Local Celebrities trailing 68-34 at halftime.
> 
> Iguodala brought the crowd to a deafening roar moments into the third quarter on a breakaway, going to the free throw line and tossing the ball behind his back off the backboard, catching the ball for a slam in one fluid move.
> 
> That was followed by ending the quarter by carefully gauging the time and distance as he dribbled, then hitting a 3-pointer from halfcourt as the buzzer sounded. Between the two efforts, he repeatedly drained 3-pointers from far beyond the stripe.
> 
> "Andre is big time and him doing something like this shows how big time he is," Team Springfield coach and game organizer Lawrence Thomas said. "He's a humble person, a respectful kid. He had no problem putting this game on."
> 
> Thomas said the game would be an annual affair, with event coordinator Melissa Bealon saying that it most likely will be played next year in an air-conditioned facility such as the Prairie Capital Convention Center.
> 
> "Something like this lets the community know that this is the way it's supposed to go," Thomas said, in regards to his positive feelings on the day. "You are supposed to reach back, this is all about reaching back. And it's going to get bigger and better."
> 
> Making up the majority of the Celebrity Team - which broke its pregame huddle by good-naturely chanting "Rich people," - were performers from movies and television, including Orlando Brown and Johnathan McDaniel from "That's So Raven," Nana Gbewonyo and Terrell Byrd from the movie "Coach Carter," and Ken Lawson from UPN's "The Parkers."
> 
> Brown, who plays "Eddie" on the Disney Channel show, was the favorite of the younger fans, many chanting his TV name and responding to his animated personality. Brown, the shortest player on the floor at around 5-feet-6, said he was most pleased with opening the game with a 3-pointer.
> 
> "It's a blessing that you could be in a position where you might be having problems and come to someplace like this and notice that you have love," he said. "This was for the kids. I was trying to help Andre and just do a little bit."
> 
> Rounding out the Celebrity Team was Frank Iguodala, older brother of Andre. Andre Iguodala coached the Celebrity Team in the first half, with University of Illinois at Springfield men's basketball coach Kevin Gamble coaching the Local Celebrity team.
> 
> "This is about a good time, for the kids to meet some of the kids they see on TV," Frank Iguodala, a Southeast graduate, said. "The last game I played here, I lost and I still kind of remember that. It was nice to come back to the gym and have a good time. But it's still hot."
> 
> Iguodala and Gamble switched teams in the second half, with Iguodala playing most of the second half. As he had all week during his basketball camp and in the days leading up to the Celebrity Game, Iguodala emphasized that he will do all he can, when he can, for his hometown.
> 
> "I feel like every kid should have the same opportunity that I have," he said. "If I can make one small difference, that's all that matters to me."


LINK


----------



## bkbballer16

I like iguolda alot also. Veryy good player


----------



## Max Payne

Holy ****...he threw it off the board BEHIND HIS BACK ? Damn damn damn...I don't care what game it was...I've never even seen something like that...speaking of which...you think that might be his big trick move if he competes in the dunk contest next year ? That would be off the charts !


----------



## Bruno

Because of his agility he can have some great tricks and show them if he ever will be in one dunk contest.
And its nice too he is recovering from some injury’s and nice too see too that he have a good attitude too witch in these NBA days is getting unusual .


----------



## Coatesvillain

Another write-up on the event.. the more I read about, the better person Iguodala comes across as. Oh yeah, and reading this one the description of his dunk makes it sound like something absolutely crazy.



> If being a celebrity means your knees ache and your back is stiff, count me in.
> 
> This was my "celebrity" sports weekend. Saturday afternoon it was basketball, the Andre Iguodala Celebrity Basketball Game at Southeast High School. Sunday it was baseball, the vintage variety, as part of Lincoln Park's 100th birthday celebration.
> 
> I have been fortunate to play in a number of these fund-raiser events over the years, masquerading as a celebrity. The Iguodala basketball event at steamy Scheffler Gymnasium was undoubtedly the best of its kind I have ever taken part in.
> 
> Real celebrities were on hand. Orlando Brown and Jonathan McDaniel from "That's So Raven.'' Ken Lawson from "The Parkers.'' And Nana Gbewonyo from the movie "Coach Carter.'' While I am not familiar with any of the individuals or programs, I could tell by the reaction of the young people at the game that these folks were indeed celebrities.
> 
> Each team had uniforms, and we got to keep the shorts and tank top. There was plenty of water, the VIP room was air conditioned and there was privacy.
> 
> But what made the event - a fund-raiser for Team Springfield, a local Amateur Athletic Union team that has qualified for the national tournament July 31-Aug. 8 in Orlando, Fla. - truly special was the presence of a true superstar, Andre Iguodala.
> 
> Team Springfield needs to raise close to $20,000 to cover the cost of the trip to Disney World. Saturday's event might have brought the team halfway to its goal, so Lawrence Thomas and his gang aren't finished fund raising.
> 
> Iguodala didn't mail it in - didn't show up 10 minutes before tipoff, hang out in the air conditioning and then duck out while the kids waited for his autograph. Iguodala was there hours before the game was to begin. He was on the floor in his capacity as celebrity team coach during warmups - another ex-NBAer, Kevin Gamble, was the coach of our media team - and didn't spend the afternoon looking at his watch, dying to get out of the hot gym.
> 
> But what Andre does best is play basketball, and so when the media stiffs were down 68-34 at halftime, Iguodala decided we needed some help. So he put on a red tank top and played.
> 
> What a beautiful thing to behold.
> 
> Iguodala actually was pretty discreet. He advised Gamble that they would switch coaching assignments for the second half, with Iguodala moving to the media bench. The media team started strong in the third quarter with five straight points, but then reality set in and the celebs - led by Frank Iguodala, Andre's brother - were scoring at will again.
> 
> About 3 minutes into the third period, Andre stood up on the bench, pulled off his "coaching'' clothes to reveal a red jersey with a No. 5 on the back and sprinted onto the court. Superman had arrived.
> 
> He picked up a rebound on the defensive end and took off to the offensive end. He didn't stop until he hammered home a dunk. Then he made a 3-pointer. And another from farther out. And another from still farther out. The crowd was going wild. And I thought they came out to watch me play . . .
> 
> Frank and Andre guarded each other - the officials didn't see any of the hand-checks or pushoffs, ironically - as if they were on the driveway at home. The celebs would double-team Andre, and triple-team him. Still he'd made his way down the floor and launched another 3-pointer.
> 
> The Play of the Day came in the third period. Andre again headed toward the basket with Frank riding him hard. Andre got to the free throw line, a bit off center of the rim. Suddenly he whipped the ball behind his back toward the backboard. The ball went left and Andre went right. It kissed off the glass and into the leaping Iguodala's hands. He dunked the ball so hard that I believe it left a dent in the floor.
> 
> The crowd went nuts. People came out of the stands. Iguodala was even impressed by the finest dunk any of us had ever seen, including those by Air Jordan. He told me he practices that dunk almost every day and never completes it. To do it with a defender hanging all over him . . . well, the game was delayed for a few minutes while folks came back to reality.
> 
> For good measure, Iguodala capped the third quarter with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from half-court.
> 
> Every time he touched the ball, the crowd waited for something ungodly to happen. Iguodala never let 'em down, right up to the final buzzer.
> 
> Andre brought the media team back to within 113-110 with another 3-pointer inside the final minute. The celebs missed, and then Andre missed at the other end. A local radio guy - who really could play - rebounded the miss and was mugged. He made the first free throw and tried to miss the second, but he banked it in. The celebs led 113-112 with less than 10 seconds left.
> 
> The celebs threw it inbounds and there was a foul. Both free throws missed, and guess who got the rebound? Andre dribbled the length of the court and jacked up a 3 with time running out; it missed. The good radio guy got the rebound and threw it back out to Andre. He launched his 3 as the clock showed all zeroes. Good! He made it! Media wins 115-113.
> 
> This wasn't WWF wrestling. This was legitimate. The media team scored 81 points in the second half; Iguodala had to have scored 65 of them, in 20 minutes. Dunks, 3s, just what the people paid money to see.


LINK


----------



## Dizmatic

Iggy seems to really have his head on straight. Glad to see a guy who has been successful understands that you can be humble and do the right things and not let your ego dominate you.


----------



## SirCharles34

Iggy was also showcased on "Spike TV" along with other rookies, JR Smith of the Hornets and Omeka Okafor, of the Bobcats. 

It was cool, a they were interviewing them and following them around from city to city. Iggy apparently is a smooth dresser when he travels. JR Smith's dad travels with him and acts as his manager. 

You can tell it was shot b4 the Webber trade b/c Iggy was still wearing #4 and Kenny Thomas kept appearing in Iggy's dunk highlights.


----------



## bkbballer16

I saw him on Spike tv


----------



## Coatesvillain

More on Iguodala's offseason..



> Another player who looks a lot different was Andre Iguodala. After just one year in the NBA his game has improved. He is a much more reliable shooter and I dare say, he’s more athletic than he was when he played for the Cats. As you may expect he threw down some ridiculous dunks and after a number of breakaways he almost seemed to run out of acrobatic things to do in the open floor.


LINK


----------

