Programming note: Watch the pregame edition of Warriors Outsiders on Saturday afternoon at 4, streaming live on the MyTeams app.
Let's take a walk down memory lane.
In the summer of 2013, Dwight Howard was the prized free agent.
Golden State contingent including owner Joe Lacob, GM Bob Myers and Mark Jackson will meet w/ Dwight Howard in LA next week, sources tell Y!— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2013
Howard just considering to sign with Golden State was a big deal for the franchise.
Sports
About a week later, the Warriors still had hope:
Holed away in Colorado, the Lakers are still prominent in Dwight Howard's mind, sources tell Y! Rockets remain strong, Warriors lurking.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2013
About six hours later, there was a major twist that shocked everybody:
Y! Sources: After salary dump, Warriors agree to four year, $48 million deal with free agent Andre Iguodala. http://t.co/8OrcBd2d8i— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2013
So they're out of the Howard sweepstakes, right? Wrong.
Warriors still working to make moves, so my suggestion they're out of play with Dwight Howard is premature. They have tentacles everywhere.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2013
The hope of landing Iguodala and Howard was short-lived, as about two hours later we learned that the Rockets came in first place.
Warriors still working to make moves, so my suggestion they're out of play with Dwight Howard is premature. They have tentacles everywhere.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2013
But let's go back to the 2015 NBA Finals MVP. In April 2013, the Warriors upset Iguodala and the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
Before Golden State actually eliminated Denver, the Dubs had an inkling that acquiring Iguodala in the summer was an actual possibility.
"I remember sitting on the floor in Denver and talking to a guy randomly who was sitting next to us - have I ever told you this story before? Turns out he was Andre's (associate) and he kept saying … like, he was giving us hope that Andre might actually come to the Warriors, that he would be interested," owner and CEO Joe Lacob recently told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. "I didn't really think that much of it, but I remember thinking that was an odd thing to say. And of course it did play out that way."
[RELATED: Iguodala wants Curry to stop fouling: 'It's mind-boggling']
It's awesome to learn these anecdotes as they provide context and perspective.
It's also wild how many Warriors fans were disappointed when the team aquired Iguodala. It's safe to say it turned out to be a pretty, pretty, pretty good (Larry David voice) transaction.