Kevon Looney is considering a stay in Golden State in his return to the Bay

SAN FRANCISCO– Former Golden State Warrior and three-time NBA champion Kevon Looney returns to the Bay Area after leaving in free agency last offseason. In front match between the Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicanscenter beloved by his old teammates, coaches and Dub Nation, spoke to the media about his first game at Chase Center since signing a two-year, $16 million contract with New Orleans.

“I’ve wrapped up this game,” Looney said alongside a giant picture of himself celebrating the Warriors’ 2018 NBA championship while splashing a large bottle of champagne around the locker room.

“I’m really excited to see everyone again, to play in front of the Warriors fans again, it’s always fun. I have a little more anxiety for a regular season game than usual, so I’m nervous. But I’m excited.”

The reception for Looney on his return will be befitting of a player who spent a decade with the team and helped them win multiple titles. To celebrate his return, every fan at the Chase Center will receive a custom blue and gold “Looooooooon” pin.

“I know exactly how he’s going to react,” Kerr said when asked how he expects fans to greet the beloved center. “Everything Lun has meant to us… Our fans are aware of his impact on and off the field. He’s been a fan favorite for a long time, so he’s going to get an incredible reception tonight. I’m really looking forward to it.”

In ten seasons and 599 games with Golden State, Looney was average 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 points. The veteran center shined brightest in the Warriors’ 21-22 title run, grabbing 22 rebounds in Golden State’s Finals game against the Memphis Grizzlies and averaging 7.5 rebounds in the Finals against the Boston Celtics.

Looney’s emotional departure

While Looney’s return to the Chase Center will be greeted with love and applause, his departure from Golden State was a little sour. After signing with the Pelicans, who offered more money and years than Golden State could provide, Looney shared how he felt a little slighted by some of the team’s rotation picks.

“I guess so,” Looney told Thompson II when asked if starting Quinten Post in the postseason was the last straw for him.

“I wouldn’t put it that way, but it was anybody but me, it felt like the moment. It wasn’t a single moment. Even this year, probably the playoffs. We’re going against Stephen Adams. That’s what I do. They don’t really give me a chance to really let me do what I do. … It’s like, ‘Okay, you thought you believed me.’

Kerr himself admitted that pulling Looney out of the rotation was always difficult, citing when he had to end Looney’s 289-game hitting streak in March 2024, describing it as “one of the toughest nights” of his 12 years of coaching.

For Looney, that sourness seems to have melted away.

“There was no hard feeling,” Looney said. “10 years, I’ve had a lot of great memories, more great than bad. There were times when I probably didn’t deserve the opportunity and the coaching staff cut me out. So it all kind of balances out. It’s all love. Those guys are like my family. . . . All I think about is all the wins we’ve done.”

Looney’s legacy in Golden State

Looney will not be remembered in the same breath as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green or Kevin Durant. But he will be remembered as one of the guys who helped make those stars shine brighter. Golden State doesn’t win in 2022 without Looney’s defense, his rebounding and his leadership.

A reporter asked Looney how he wanted Dub Nation to remember him. And the beloved veteran center gave a very Kevon Looney answer.

“So many memories come back when I think about my time here,” Looney reflected. “But I’d just like to be remembered as a tough guy. A guy who showed up every night. A guy who never complained about anything. Whatever they asked of me, I went out there and tried to do my best. That’s kind of how I want to be remembered.”