Iguodala first Arizona Wildcat to win Olympic gold medal with Team USA
by Christopher C. Wuensch on Aug. 12, 2012, under Sports
Former Wildcat Andre Iguodala is an Olympic champion. Streeter Lecka – Getty Images
There aren’t too many “firsts” to check off the University of Arizona basketball program’s “to do” list.
On Sunday, however, the red pen came out.
Andre Iguodala became the first Wildcat to win an Olympic gold medal when Team USA defeated Spain 107-100 in the title game of the XXX London Games.
The hardware makes him now eligible for induction into the Arizona’s Ring of Honor.
Iguodala didn’t score in the championship tilt and only saw 2:45 of action (1 rebound, 1 turnover and 2 fouls), but he did finished with 32 points for the tournament – including 13 against Argentina in the qualifying round.
Iggy became an NBA All-Star for the first time in his eight-year career this season. His No. 8 seeded Philadelphia 76ers upset No. 1 Chicago Bulls in the first round of the this year’s playoffs. Earlier this week, the Sixers dealt him to the Denver Nuggets as part of a four-team trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Iguodala’s first Tweet hours after winning the gold medal:
You can’t tell me nothin!!!
— Andre Iguodala (@mindofAI9) August 12, 2012
Wildcats have had success on the international scene for Team USA, but not as much as you’d expect from one of the more storied programs of the modern era.
(A testament to Lute Olson and Sean Miller’s “team first” mantras, perhaps?)
Richard Jefferson won a bronze medal as a member of Team USA for the 2004 Greek Games.
Sean Elliot and Steve Kerr were teammates on the Lute Olson-led World Games-winning United State’s squad in 1986.
Ex-Cat Robertas Javtokas played for the 2004 and 2008 Lithuanian national teams.
Iguodala was also a member of Team USA’s 2010 World Games championship team.
Technically, Iggy is the first Wildcat to win an Olympic gold medal in the Lute Olson and post-Lute Olson era.
Former Wildcat Leon Wood won a gold medal at the ’84 Los Angeles Games. Wood transfered to Cal-State Fullerton after the 1979-80 season, his first and only in Tucson, where he shot 38.7 percent and averaged 4.4 ppg.
