For former Arizona Wildcat Andre Iguodala, NBA return must include ‘peace of mind’

If a theme is emerging about a potential NBA return, at least from the league’s South Florida precinct, it is that prudence must outweigh all.

Just as Miami Heat forwards Udonis Haslem and Jae Crowder have expressed concerns over the past week about acting with haste or operating in too restrictive of a manner, teammate Andre Iguodala also has gone public with such concern.

“There are a lot of things at stake, with health being the number one thing we have to keep in mind, and player safety,” ex-UA Wildcat Iguodala said. “Peace of mind, as well, knowing that we could possibly be in an environment and what that environment may look like. So I think that is most important.”

Iguodala offered his comments in an interview with CNET.com Editor in Chief Lindsey Turrentine, while addressing the NBA lockout, as well as more typical CNET issues of technology and consumer electronics.

“But as we’ve seen throughout these times, not just in sports but in politics and with our unemployment levels being the way that they are: What’s the right time to move forward and at what cost?” he said on the “Now What” video series.

“So we’re just trying to be in the right places, with the right frame of mind, to make sure the guys are on the court and they’re able to produce the best product that we’re capable of.”

Heat Jazz Basketball — Miami Heat guard Andre Iguodala (28) looks on in the second half during an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Rick Bowmer

While the Heat opened last week their practice court for limited workouts amid the new coronavirus pandemic that has shut down the NBA since March 11, Iguodala has remained with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area, his residence before being acquired by the Heat at the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline. The individual workouts at AmericanAirlines Arena are voluntary, with the league expected to eventually allow for a multi-week training camp before a potential return.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said it could be until June before the league makes a decision on whether to move forward with a resumption of the season and playoffs. At 41-24, the Heat went into the shutdown with the No. 4 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

Of the uncertainty of what or what might not come next, Iguodala said, “As athletes we’re always living in the moment.”

But there has never quite been a moment like this for Iguodala over a 16-season career that included NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2015, ‘17 and ‘18.

“I’ve gotten really creative in the front yard, actually, doing a lot of boxing workouts,” the 36-year-old veteran said. “You get the right trainer over a Zoom call, and trainers are very creative. Their whole passion is to make you suffer so they come up with some pretty creative things.”

Iguodala has posted video of some of those workouts on his social media, having also joined in the Heat’s Zoom workouts led by strength coach Eric Foran.

Iguodala said his business, tech and investing activity, which includes the Zoom video-conferencing technology, has helped him prepare for the unknown.

“I think it’s just about maximizing your time and the situation that you’re in,” he said of his philosophy. “Understanding that there is going to be ups and downs. Understanding that you have to be able to adjust with any situation that comes your way.

“You talk about professional sports and especially contact sports, with reactions — I always tell guys, it is better to be proactive than reactive. When you’re proactive, you can get to a space first and that puts you in a position of power, a position of influence. You take those same principals of being on the court, trying to be first, trying to study and be ahead of the curve.”