Andre Iguodala on 'Iggy' Nickname: 'I Never Liked That'

Imagine the NBA's greatest stars grouped together, each drawing nicknames out of a hat.

LeBron James is the first to draw, and he pulls out "The King." Of course he does. Kevin Durant makes his pull and grabs "Durantula." Fitting. Kobe Bryant takes his turn and finds "The Black Mamba." Nice. Before backing away, he pulls again with "Vino." Let me think about that one.

Finally it's Andre Iguodala's turn. He crosses his fingers, hopes for the best and pulls his slip. It reads simply "Iggy."

Of course it does. As he told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday, via Comcast Sports Net, that nickname has been following him since his childhood days.

But he's still trying to shake it, or at the least pry it away from anyone outside his inner circle.

One reporter, tipped off by Warriors sophomore Harrison Barnes, asked Iguodala if it was true that he didn't like the nickname.

"Yeah, I never liked that," he said (seen in the second video here, near the 2:00 mark). "Since I was a kid I've been called that. My teammates can call me that...They kind of know me, they can get away with it. But other than that, I'm not a big fan."

For a player with his across-the-board talent, the "Iggy" nickname is pretty weak. The best nicknames are the ones that describe a player's talent ("The King") or ability ("The Black Mamba").

To give his game the proper recognition, how about calling him simply "The Fit"? He can change teams (Golden State is his third), change positions (plays anywhere along the perimeter), even change responsibilities (scoring, distributing, defending), and he always finds a way to fit.

Not to mention the fits he sends opposing ball-handlers into or the ones he causes for defenders on the wrong end of his finishes.

Now that that's settled, focus can finally shift to the hardwood, where Iguodala said he expects great things from the Warriors.

When asked by a reporter whether 50 wins was a realistic goal for the Warriors, he didn't hesitate with his response. "I would say more than that."

He said the Warriors have a great group of high-character players who all put team success over individual triumphs.

That unified mindset carried Golden State to the Western Conference semifinals in 2013, just its second postseason venture that far since 1991. It also helped the franchise land a coveted free agent like Iguodala, who will bring leadership, poise and two-way playmaking to the Bay Area.

And hopefully a new nickname, too.

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