Warriors retire Andre Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey, honoring a change agent of their dynasty

SAN FRANCISCO — Andre Iguodala, the man of the hour, declared that this is the beginning of the Steph Curry celebration.

To tip it off, the Warriors honored him, conducting what will be the first of many salutes to the dynasty.

“It’s been a wild journey, a beautiful blessing,” Iguodala said.

Ten years after Iguodala helped the Warriors to their first of four championships, the team immortalized him by retiring his jersey. Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant are next in line. He didn’t have to be the best to be the first.

By retiring Iguodala’s number, the Warriors are celebrating their golden years while trying to create more. Four championships in eight years and Curry’s impressive longevity give them the right to do both, to pop bottles and put some more on ice.

“It’s actually funny that you start to celebrate it while it’s still going on,” Iguodala said.

The Chase Center crowd had the most juice it has in months, feeding off Jimmy Butler’s home debut and a blowout win over the Mavericks. Hardly anyone left after the final buzzer, sticking around to shower Iguodala with affection.

Iguodala spoke in front of the four Larry O’Brien trophies and the Bill Russell Finals MVP hardware to his name. He, Curry Steve Kerr, Bob Myers each took the mic to reflect on Iguodala’s legacy.

“I think we all can feel it, that this isn’t just about a number going in the rafters,” Curry said. “This is about celebrating a player who changed the course of our entire franchise.”

Former teammates like Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa and Festus Ezeli sat on the court for the ceremony. So did his longtime agent, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, and friend Evan Turner. Rick Barry and Alvin Attles’ son sat through the speeches. Kevin Durant, Jordan Poole and Erik Spoelstra were among the figures included in a pre-recorded tribute video. Iguodala’s family was in the front row, and his son counted down the jersey reveal.

When Iguodala arrived in 2014, becoming — in Curry’s words — the first star player to choose the Warriors, he kickstarted a dynasty. His combination of basketball I.Q., all-world defense, veteran experience and all-around ability turned an upstart team into a championship one.

One of Kerr’s first moves as a head coach was to bring Iguodala off the bench. The rest is history.

“You sacrificed ego for excellence,” Curry said.

During one game that season, Iguodala couldn’t believe the types of shots Curry and Thompson were taking. At a timeout, he told Kerr that they were crazy.

“I go, ‘I know he’s crazy. And so are Klay and Draymond. That’s why we need you,’” Kerr said during the ceremony. “And it was the truth. These guys changed the game forever with the way they created this chaos and the way they shot the ball. But the only way it was going to work at the highest level was if we tied it together with your basketball I.Q., your feel for the game.”

In the morning, before the on-court pomp, Iguodala unveiled his “walk of fame” medallion outside Chase Center in front of his friends, family, former teammates and Warriors luminaries.

Iguodala hadn’t been able to mentally process what the day would look like ahead of time. He’s got multiple jobs — serving as executive director of the players union, co-hosting the Point Forward podcast and running a $200 million venture capital fund. That’s in addition to dad duty; this weekend, he and his teenage son went on an official visit to his alma mater, Arizona.

There’s no time for golf, let alone reminiscing. That’s what Sunday was for.

Team owner Joe Lacob, after some lighthearted banter, recalled sitting with Iguodala’s cousin during the 2013 playoff series between the Warriors and Nuggets. How he tipped his hand that Iguodala might be interested in joining Golden State in free agency.

Peter Guber, a co-owner and film producer, compared basketball to movies. You need to have a great cast to succeed, he said. “The Godfather” would’ve been great with Marlon Brando, but became a masterpiece with Al Pacino opposite him (would that make Iguodala…James Caan?).

Iguodala sat in a black-and-white suit and tie as Guber and Lacob praised his intellectual spirit and curiosity. His 20-minute press conference shortly after spanned topics such as wealth, the state of the city, health insurance for retired players and criticism of the All-Star Game. He thanked a myriad of behind-the-scenes Warriors officials many legendary players would overlook.

There were oos and ahs as Iguodala unveiled his medallion on the Thrive City cement, becoming the seventh figure on the Walk of Fame. Once they uncovered the plaque, Iguodala and his daughter did an elaborate handshake.

At a stoppage during the Warriors’ game against the Mavericks, Iguodala’s accolades flashed around Chase Center. Nineteen NBA seasons, Finals MVP four championship rings, two All-Defense teams. If it’s not a Hall of Fame resume, it’s an unforgettable one that peaked with Golden State.

During another break, they played a video montage of the 2015 NBA Finals, highlighting video coordinator Nick U’Ren’s idea to insert Iguodala into the starting lineup for Andrew Bogut up until his Finals MVP.

“When I was standing on that stage in Cleveland in June 2015 and they announced that Andre was the MVP, it was the ultimate validation of everything I’ve always believed in the game,” Kerr said. “And I do think other people recognize that. It wasn’t lost on anyone the sacrifice and the success that kind of happened together.”

The Warriors won 75% of their games with Iguodala in the lineup, a remarkable sign of Iguodala’s impact. He became a model for sacrificing for the team, of leadership and selflessness.

His No. 9 hanging in the corner of the Chase Center rafters will now always be a reminder of it.