Four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala has a new gig, just three days after he retired from basketball. ESPN has hired Iguodala as a studio analyst. Here’s what you need to know:
- Former NBA guard Austin Rivers and former New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry are also joining ESPN as analysts.
- Additionally, the network hired WNBA coach Becky Hammon as an NBA studio analyst for the season. Hammon, whose Las Vegas Aces recently won the WNBA championship, has previously worked for ESPN.
- Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White will also serve as an NBA analyst. She has previously worked for ESPN and the Big Ten Network.
What to expect from ESPN’s additions
As a longtime NBA rightsholder and a media entity that leans heavily into basketball, ESPN is perennially in search of on-air talent — and especially those who have recently left the court. David Roberts, the head of event and studio production at ESPN and the lead executive for the network’s NBA and WNBA production, said he was impressed by Iguodala’s candor on his podcast as well as his storied history as a player and voice in the league. Iguodala won’t just appear on NBA-centric shows: Roberts said viewers will see him on “First Take” as well as “Get Up.”
The network’s additions of Perry and Rivers also fit into the goal of using people who are just out of the league. Hammon has been part of ESPN’s basketball coverage in the past and she’s a unique figure with coaching experience in both the NBA and WNBA. She’s also very close to Spurs coach Greg Popovich, so look for her to provide great insight on the ongoing development of rookie Victor Wembanyama. — Richard Deitsch, sports media writer
Backstory
Perry will be one of the new analysts for “NBA Today,” “SportsCenter” and other studio shows. He parted ways with the Knicks this summer after his contract expired.
Rivers’ main focus will be studio work, but at some point, he will cover a game with his father, Doc Rivers. Doc joined the network on a multiyear deal in July after spending most of the past 24 seasons as an NBA coach. He had a brief stint as an ESPN/ABC analyst during the 2003-04 season after leaving the Orlando Magic.
Austin Rivers, 31, played 11 NBA seasons, most recently with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2022-23. He averaged 8.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in 707 career games.
Iguodala, 39, retired with the Golden State Warriors after spending eight seasons across two stints with the franchise. He averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 1,231 career games, won NBA Finals MVP in 2015 and earned an All-Star selection in 2012.
At the time of his retirement, Iguodala told Andscape it was “just the right time” for the change.
“Time started to get limited for me and I didn’t want to put anything in the back seat,” he said. “I didn’t want to have to try to delegate time anymore. Especially on the court, off the court with family. A lot,” he said.
Required reading
(Photo: John Hefti / USA Today)
