Andre Iguodala says victory for the Miami Heat takes precedence over his own feelings as he prepares to face his former team the Golden State Warriors.
After making his Miami debut in the 115-109 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, Iguodala and the Heat continue their road back-to-back with a meeting against the struggling Warriors (12-41) on Monday.
Having sat out of the first half of the season with the Memphis Grizzlies prior to his trade, the Portland game was the 36-year-old's first NBA outing since Game 6 of the NBA Finals while he was with the Warriors in June.
With the Heat (34-18) on a three-game losing run, halting that streak is the focus for Iguodala, who won three championships in six seasons with the Warriors.
"For this team, more importantly, we want to win," Iguodala said, per ESPN.
"This road trip is tough with a lot of guys down. We've got new bodies. Us getting a win is more important than how I feel. That's my mindset going into the game.
"I've played a lot of basketball games in my career, so the emotional highs and lows I don't have anymore. Everything is just another game."
While the Heat were beaten, Iguodala took the positives from playing 23 minutes against the Blazers.
He had six rebounds, three assists, a steal and while he only scored two points, the Heat had a plus 10 points differential while he was on the court.
"I felt good," added Iguodala. "I wanted to get a feel for where I was at.
"Honestly, I haven't even played a pickup game or anything since the Finals. I was trying to get a feel for where my wind was. Overall, I felt really good out there.
"It was exciting to be out there. It was like I was taking a sabbatical. Being away from the game makes you see how much you appreciate this game.
"The longer you are away, when you get out there again, you are excited with every possession, every opportunity to put your stamp on the game. That's what I tried to do."
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra revealed he ended up playing Iguodala for seven minutes longer than initially planned, but praised his shape before the game and said afterwards he would evaluate the veteran's condition prior to the Warriors meeting.
"The guy's a freak. Six percent body fat, and he's been off that kind of time? He looks incredible," said Spoelstra.