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July 7 (UPI) -- The Golden State Warriors are retiring veteran forward Andre Iguodala's number, the team announced Sunday. In a statement from Warriors co-chairman and CEO Joe Lacob, the franchise will hang Iguodala's No. 9 jersey number in the rafters at the new Chase Center.
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"During the summer of 2013, we went through an extensive free agency process in our efforts to sign Andre Iguodala," Lacob said. "At that time, we envisioned him becoming a vital part of a young, up-and-coming team with championship aspirations. As we look back six years later, we actually underestimated what his value would be to our team, both on the court and in the locker room.
"In what has been well-documented, Andre sacrificed for the betterment of our team and, in one of the best stories of this journey, earned NBA Finals MVP honors in 2015. He has been absolutely vital to our success during five consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals and three championships.
"We thank Andre for all of his contributions and look forward to seeing his number in the rafters at Chase Center."
The Warriors traded Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies this off-season, with the trade becoming official Sunday. Golden State dealt Iguodala and a protected first-round draft pick to the Grizzlies in exchange for forward Julian Washburn.
The 35-year-old forward appeared in 413 regular-season games (84 starts) across six seasons with the Warriors. Iguodala averaged 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 26.7 minutes per game.
Iguodala was named NBA Finals MVP during the 2015 NBA Finals and helped guide the franchise to three championships as a key role player.
In his 15-year career with the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Warriors, Iguodala has averaged 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.5 steals in 33.4 minutes per game.
The Warriors also plan to retire Kevin Durant's No. 35 jersey number. Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets in free agency this off-season.
