The Sixth Man

A Memoir

By: Andre Iguodala, Carvell Wallace

Narrated by: Sullivan Jones, Andre Iguodala

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

The instant national best seller 

The standout memoir from NBA powerhouse Andre Iguodala, the indomitable sixth man of the champion Golden State Warriors.

Andre Iguodala is one of the most admired players in the NBA. And fresh off the Warriors’ third NBA championship in the last four years, his game has never been stronger. 

Off the court, Iguodala has earned respect, too - for his successful tech investments, his philanthropy, and increasingly for his contributions to the conversation about race in America. It is no surprise, then, that in his first book, Andre, with his cowriter Carvell Wallace, has pushed himself to go further than he ever has before about his life, not only as an athlete but about what makes him who he is at his core. 

The Sixth Man traces Andre’s journey from childhood in his Illinois hometown to his Bay Area home court today. Basketball has always been there. But this is the story, too, of his experience of the conflict and racial tension always at hand in a professional league made up largely of African-American men; of whether and why the athlete owes the total sacrifice of his body; of the relationship between competition and brotherhood among the players of one of history’s most glorious championship teams. And of what motivates an athlete to keep striving for more once they’ve already achieved the highest level of play they could have dreamed. 

On drive, on leadership, on pain, on accomplishment, on the shame of being given a role, and the glory of taking a role on: This is a powerful memoir of life and basketball that reveals new depths to the superstar athlete, and offers tremendous insight into most urgent stories being told in American society today.

©2019 Andre Iguodala (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“The best basketball memoir since Bill Russell’s Go up for Glory...a sports memoir for the ages.” (Booklist, starred review) 

“A riveting read by one of the NBA’s sharpest minds.” (Forbes)

“Iguodala's story is a compelling and important one that provides a glimpse into what people of color face, from little boys to the height of stardom, in a country ‘designed to wreak absolute havoc on the confidence of black people.’” (Shelf Awareness)

Lost its legs in the 4th

Started strong and interesting as we get a look at Andre's youth and history coming up, but ended boring and tiring while he basically airs every grievance he has in life/basketball...His grievances may be valid, it's just not that interesting to listen to.

amazing insight

I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed here in the struggle not only as an athlete but as a black athlete growing from level to level

You don't need to be a sports fan

I read this because a relative of mine was reading it and I wanted to be able to talk to him about it.

I am really glad I did. It was not a subject I usually spend much time on, but Mr. Iguodala's story from high school to the NBA was fascinating. I have seen him play, so that added another level of interest.
There were aspects about being an athlete at all levels I was completely ignorant about. He was positive about his experiences and the people he worked with. I liked that, it was classy.

So, if you want to wow someone with some deep sports background, well, this is the book for you. Also, I really enjoyed how much fun I had talking with my cousin about it.

Great listen

Aside from the few name pronunciation blunders, the book gives excellent insight on the life that of a pro basketball player.

Insightful and entertaining

If you’ve ever wondered about the life of an NBA athlete, this book is for you. Andre explains the feelings, objectification, luxuries, injuries, and cons of being an athlete in the NBA. You could watch a million press interviews with athletes and not begin to grasp a portion of what it means to be in the NBA or just an athlete in general. I highly recommend this book to anyone who’s curious about the life, looking for inspiration, or simply a great autobiography.

A Basketball Fan

This was a great story. Thank you Andre for the truth behind those coveted walls. Being rich doesn't mean your job is always great, that the powers that be use and abuse the bodies of the players for their benefit and for much higher profit than the money y'all make.
More importantly, thanks for sharing a part of your life with us!

Thought Provoking

This book tells the story of basketball like I never expected. There is so much nuance to the experience of professional athletes, especially when it comes to race, that I had no idea existed. I love sports and intake it constantly through news, highlights, podcasts, and watching games. This is helping me rethink the stories I'm told and to have a better eye for it myself and the player experience.

Amazing life lessons to be learned

I so enjoyed this book-Andre has incredible perspective on life, and truly what has both been gained and lost in being an NBA star. After listening to this book, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I felt like there are many meaningful lessons from his life that can be applied to mine and to those of my children. This book is more than an autobiography, it is an experience.

Andre tells his story, from start to a Warrior

I was lucky to watch Andre grow his basketball skills, when living in Springfield, IL. Early on his commitment and competitive drive was evident. His story is a good roadmap for young men to follow. And he speaks the truth about his Lanphier High basketball team. The only team that could play with them was Westinghouse out of Chicago Illinois - if you love basketball, you’ll enjoy this story.

Absolutely Captivating

The stories told by Andre were incredible interesting as a basketball fan to hear. These kind of books are what basketball fans are here for in the first place.

OK book for NBA fans

If you're not an NBA fan, this book is not for you. I have a huge respect for Iggy as a player so was keen to hear more about his perspective.

The book starts slow with a rather lengthy history of Iggy's pre-NBA days. The NBA part was the more interesting though. What was lacking was a better structure when talking about different seasons with GSW. And the main disappointment was that there was not a single word about Iggy winning the finals MVP. His take on it should've been the cherry on the top. But it's not there...