Iguodala credits Corey Maggette as his inspiration for working hard on his craft: “That’s how an NBA player works out”
When discussing wing players from the 2000s, names like Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady dominate the conversation, often leaving players like Corey Maggette overlooked in basketball discussions.
Maggette was a bucket during his heyday, scoring 20+ points per game and being a reliable presence in the locker room. While they were never teammates, former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala wants to show love to Corey for teaching him how to work harder as an NBA player.
“As crazy as this sounds, he was perceived as a selfish basketball player, but someone asked me, ‘Who did you watch work out, that showed you what working hard was?’ This is a crazy name, but I saw Corey Maggette working out, and I saw that’s what a pro is supposed to do,” Iggy said on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony. “Everything he did was he was like, ‘I’m doing this for me.’ When I saw him work out… I said that’s how an NBA player works out.”
Maggette was seen as a ball hog by the NBA community
With him being a good scorer, Maggette unfortunately had a reputation for being a ball hog. He loved being a scorer but was never a bad teammate, as that tag implies. Iggy acknowledges that Corey was a score-first player, but that was his play style. He was most effective as an offensive option, and he knew what kind of impact he could bring to the table.
He was a dependable player known for providing a reliable scoring boost. According to Iguodala, Maggette was one of the hardest workers behind the scenes, driven by the fact that hard work leads to real success.
“People don’t understand about Corey Maggete was he played in a selfish manner but all his habits and everything he did for how he presented himself,” Iggy continued.
Carmelo also remembers Maggette as a hard worker
Since Carmelo Anthony came up in the NBA a couple of years after Maggette, he had a closer look into all the behind-the-scenes work. Anthony shared a fair amount of battles Corey since they played the same position and were both in the Western Conference during the 2000s.
Due to their constant games against each other and mutual connections, Melo learned how Corey worked hard behind the scenes during road trips.
“He played the same way in the NBA like he did in the summertime. He warmed up the same, he had all types of stretch bands, foam rollers, he had the s**t the trainers had… The tools,” Melo said to Iggy. “He was very disciplined, at first I was like ‘This n***a crazy.’ But that’s how you gotta do to get ready for the game.”
Maggette built his reputation behind the scenes, emulating his hero, Michael Jordan, who was known for his relentless work ethic. This dedication paid off, enabling him to enjoy a successful career from 1999 to 2013 as a reliable scorer for every team he played for.
