VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - USA's Andre Iguodala, who recently announced his retirement from the NBA, is not a player Lithuania fans should have fond memories of.

His shut-down defense on Linas Kleiza at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2010, combined with Kevin Durant's 38-point explosion, would have frustrated anyone rooting for Lithuania that night.

Yet something Iguodala said in the latest episode of his podcast with, Point Forward, will have scored him some points in the Baltics.

"Lithuania might be the basketball capital of the world," he said.

Iguodala didn't go into highlighting the successes of Lithuanian basketball in the podcast or explain the comment.

He just made it, while talking with former NBA player Evan Turner about the period in his career when he, Iguodala, had become one of the best defenders in the game.

Durant was the MVP of the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which the USA won after beating Turkey in the Final.

Yet Iguodala was just as important to that USA team. In a 70-68 triumph over Brazil, Iguodala had five steals. He was just as good against Lithuania in the Semi-Finals.

Kleiza went into the game averaging 19 points and had led Lithuania to wins against important teams like Spain, France, and Argentina.

Iguodala held him to a measly four points.

Iguodala had a tournament-best five steals for USA in their 70-68 win over Brazil

He had four steals and his defense was so suffocating that Kleiza was just 1-11 from the floor.

Harken back to the words that USA national team managing director Jerry Colangelo told me after that USA win.

"Andre Iguodala, in our own locker room, is our MVP tonight," Colangelo said. "It wasn't Kevin's 38, which was fantastic.

"But literally, he (Iguodala) took Kleiza straight out of the game.

"He was 1-11 in the ballgame and in the first half, Iguodala totally frustrated him."

As Iguodala rides into the sunset following a magnificent 19-year NBA career, one in which he won a World Cup gold medal, an Olympic Games gold medal, four NBA titles with Golden State (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022), and was NBA Finals MVP in 2015, give him his due.

He is also one of the USA greats.

Jeff Taylor
FIBA

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