SAN FRANCISCO – Kevon Looney had navigated Chase Heart’s winding halls lots of of instances throughout his 11-year profession. However Saturday afternoon’s trek by means of the glitzy San Francisco area was his first as a visiting participant, an unfamiliar expertise for the previous Warrior nonetheless adored by the group and its followers.
“I thought I knew the Chase Center like the back of my hand,” Looney, now a member of the Pelicans, stated. “But I didn’t know where I was going, going to the other side.”
The house crew is loads accustomed to Looney, although.
After being chosen No. 30 total out of UCLA within the 2015 draft by the then-reigning champs, the 6-foot-9 Looney fought by means of damage considerations and developed right into a reliable possibility at middle, an iron man (289 consecutive video games performed) and beloved locker room presence.
On the courtroom, he blossomed right into a rebounding machine, first getting main postseason minutes through the Curry-Thompson-Inexperienced-Durant crew’s title run in 2018.
“There’s so many memories that come back when I come through here, when I think about my time here,” Looney stated. “I’d like to be remembered as being a tough guy, a guy who showed up every night and brought his hard hat every night and didn’t complain about anything.”
By the point the Warriors revamped across the Large 3 4 years later, Looney was a longtime veteran for coach Steve Kerr’s crew.
He grabbed 22 boards within the semifinal clincher towards Memphis in 2022, after which pulled in 18 rebounds to assist closeout the Mavericks in Sport 5 just a few weeks later because the Warriors went on to win a fourth title of the Steph Curry period.
“Goes way beyond the court stuff,” Kerr stated. “Just his locker room presence, his maturity, the way he generated a professional atmosphere with the whole group. (He was) just a remarkable teammate.”
However his influence on the ground – averages of 5.0 factors and 5.7 rebounds in 599 video games – was dwarfed by what he did off it.
Looney turned a go-to for younger gamers who wanted a shoulder to lean on as they discovered the ropes of NBA life.
Amongst those that counted Looney as a mentor was fellow Milwaukeean Brandin Podziemski.
“He was a big brother to me,” Podziemski stated after the groups performed in New Orleans earlier this month. “It’s sad to see him in a different uniform, but I love that man and he’s done a lot for me on the basketball court, and mentally, away from it. I can’t thank him enough.”
His management was not restricted to solely guards. Over the previous few years of his Warriors tenure, the crew introduced in a sequence of bigs that would and did eat into his taking part in time. However as a substitute of retaining the competitors at arm’s size, Looney welcomed them into the group.
Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Publish, each 25 and introduced in over the previous three seasons, raved about Looney’s willingness to assist them regulate to a professional locker room and a sooner sport.
“He does all of the little things, and there is no ego involved with anything he does,” Publish stated. “It’s easy to follow a guy like that.”
Looney embraced that aspect of the sport.
“You feel like you’re doing a good job (as a mentor) but you never know until you actually hear them talk about you when you’re not around,” Looney stated. “For them to give me high praise like that is something I really enjoy, and hopefully they do the same thing for the next guys coming up.”
In an period of participant motion, Looney was poised to turned one of many final non-superstar one-team lifers.
However it was to not be.
Because the crew remained in stasis because the Jonathan Kuminga contract negotiation dragged by means of the summer time, Looney signed a two-year, $16 million take care of the Pelicans this offseason.
“No hard feelings,” Looney stated. “Ten years, had a lot of great memories … it’s all love, and those guys are my family.”
However after lacking the primary 5 video games of the season with a left knee damage, and averaging round quarter-hour an evening over his first seven appearances, Looney has been principally dropped from the rotation by a revamped Pelicans teaching employees.
With James Borrego changing the deposed Willie Inexperienced, Looney has performed in solely two of the final seven video games, and didn’t spend even a minute on the courtroom when the Warriors performed in New Orleans on Nov. 16.
However that has not stopped Looney from studying to like his new city.
“The food out there is great in New Orleans, the people out there are great, and Southern Hospitality is a real thing,” Looney stated. “I’m starting to really get myself in the community, and hope to do more out there.”
However even when he turns into a constant a part of the rotation for a rebuilding Pelicans crew, he’ll – perpetually – be generally known as a Warrior.
“Got a little bit more anxiety for a regular season game than normal,” Looney stated. “A lot of jitters, but I’m excited.”
Different notables
The Warriors introduced that each Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II shall be accessible for Saturday’s sport. Kuminga has missed the previous seven video games with knee soreness. The crew additionally introduced that De’Anthony Melton, who has been rehabbing from an ACL tear, is anticipated to be activated subsequent week.
