Warriors pay tribute to Max Kellerman meme for Andre Iguodala jersey retirement

We haven’t heard from Max Kellerman in a while, but if the universe’s fate were on the line — and depending on who you ask, it just might be — he’d probably still want Andre Iguodala taking that aforementioned shot.

Iguodala himself might think the former ESPN personality was out of his mind for that take back when he was Stephen A. Smith’s sparring partner on First Take, but Kellerman was dead serious.

Even if it earned an eye roll from Smith, who dismissed it as “nonsensical,” the moment became a meme that will forever have its place in NBA lore.

Smith wouldn’t rank this among his most heated disagreements with Kellerman, especially considering he has since lamented their lack of chemistry as the reason for their split. That ultimately led Kellerman to pursue other ventures before ESPN parted ways with the veteran sportscaster a few years ago.

All of Brian Kenny, Jordan Schultz and Marcellus Wiley have hinted at something big on the horizon, with Wiley even predicting a reunion by 2026. However, Kellerman’s return remains uncertain. For a stretch, ESPN was essentially paying him not to work for the network, and during that time, he didn’t resurface anywhere else in sports media. Whether he makes a comeback remains to be seen.

But on Sunday, his name was back in the conversation.

Not for anything sports media-related, but for Andre Iguodala.

Iguodala became the first member of the four-championship Golden State Warriors dynasty to have his number retired. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will almost certainly be added to the list of now-seven players when their respective time comes.

For Iguodala, that time came on Sunday, Feb. 23.

And wouldn’t you know, his biggest believer was involved in some capacity.

Kellerman wasn’t in attendance, but members of the Warriors’ coaching staff made sure to pay tribute in some capacity. Prior to the pregame festivities, several members of Steve Kerr’s staff were spotted sporting shirts that read, “I want Iguodala,” an obvious ode to Kellerman’s famous rant.

Some of the Warriors coaches are wearing “I want Iguodala” shirts 😂👏👏 pic.twitter.com/4bb88rFYtK

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) February 23, 2025

Let’s take you back to that fateful moment.

In typical ESPN fashion, the network spent a good portion of an NBA Finals segment on First Take arguing over who they’d rather have take the shot at the end of the game: Iguodala or Curry?

“Of everyone on Golden State, open shot, the fate of the universe on the line, the Martians have the death beam pointed at earth, you better hit it, I want Iguodala,” said Kellerman. “That’s right, and I know what it sounds like. And it’s not fair to Steph because so much defensive attention is paid to him. And I’m not saying Steph’s not a better shooter — he’s a way better shooter. Iguodala’s got ice water in his veins.”

The last shot, who would you rather have taking it: Andre Iguodala or Steph Curry?@maxkellerman: pic.twitter.com/Dcb3yjhZ6v

— First Take (@FirstTake) June 3, 2019

Now even six years later, with Andre Iguodala’s jersey now hanging in the rafters, Max Kellerman’s bold take is something that clearly hasn’t been forgotten by the Golden State Warriors.