Why Kyle Shanahan was a Warriors fan before becoming 49ers coach

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Did you know that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has been a fan of the Warriors for years?

During his Wednesday morning press conference, Shanahan was asked if he has picked up anything in particular from observing Golden State.

"I just have always been a fan of them, even before I got here," he told reporters. "Just watching how they play. I remember saying in Atlanta that I wanted our receiver group to be similar to the Warriors to where 'Who knows who the starter is.' 

"They all play. Andre Iguodala. I think he wasn't the starter and then he was the conference finals or whatever it's called -- the NBA championship -- MVP. The seven games that mattered at the end (laughter). You think of stuff like that.

"You just got guys who seem really not to care how it gets done. They all just go out there and ball and see where the weakness in the defense is and wherever that ends up that guy shoots. And that's a lot how I see offense."

It's called the "NBA Finals" coach. The "NBA Finals."

Good luck in the "game of championship NFC" this Sunday against the Packers of Green Bay! (just having some fun ...)

As for Iguodala -- in 2014-15, he came off the bench during all 77 of his regular-season appearances, and the Warriors' first 18 playoff games. But he started Games 4 through 6 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the Dubs captured their first championship in 40 years.

Iguodala averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals against the Cavs, while shooting 52 percent overall and 40 percent from deep. He was named NBA Finals MVP.

[RELATED: Warriors paying steep price today for a better tomorrow]

And just because we're feeling nostalgic right now, don't ever forget what happened in Game 2 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors:

It's unclear where the soon-to-be 36-year-old will end up in the coming weeks, but hopefully, he gets the opportunity to make some big plays throughout the 2020 playoffs.
 

Programming note: NBC Sports Bay Area feeds your hunger for 49ers playoff coverage with special editions of “49ers Central” all week (8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday)

Also tune in at 2:30 p.m. Sunday for “49ers Pregame Live,” with Laura Britt, Jeff Garcia, Donte Whitner, Ian Williams and Grant Liffmann previewing the NFC Championship Game against the Packers. That same crew will have all the postgame reaction on “49ers Postgame Live,” starting at approximately 5:30 p.m.

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