© Kyle Terada | 2019 Jun 13
Everyone thought Kevon Looney was a goner. The 23-year-old played his best basketball on the national stage during the NBA playoffs, and surprisingly helped mitigate the absence of Kevin Durant during Golden State’s defeat of the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.
Entering unrestricted free agency for the first time, it was assumed that the financially limited Warriors wouldn’t have any chance to bring back one of the better young centers on the open market.
And yet Looney returned to the Warriors on a bargain, three-year, $14 million deal. So what compelled Looney to leave money on the table and re-join a no-longer juggernaut Golden State team? He explained on Murph & Mac before Thursday’s opener.
“I knew if I didn’t get a crazy offer that was ridiculous, I wanted to stay here in San Francisco and be part of the Warriors,” Looney said. “I had a lot of veteran teammates that I talked to throughout the years, and they said there ain’t no better place than the Warriors organization. I took that advice when I was making my decision. The Warriors made a decent enough offer where I feel comfortable, and I want to be here in a new arena on a team that I feel comfortable with.”
Looney, who is currently dealing with a lingering hamstring issue, will begin the season as the Warriors’ starting center, and is expected get more playing time this season than he ever has. Looney averaged over seven points and four rebounds in 20 minutes per game during the playoffs last season. He enters 2019 as arguably the team’s second best defensive player.
“I had a lot of teammates who played in a lot of different situations and played on winning teams, but they all said that Warriors are one of the best organizations. If you can stay here as long as you can, do it. That’s really advice that I heard from not just one guy but multiple guys.
“When I was making my decision money was a big part, but the overall organization; I know that the Warriors care about their players, the Bay Area loves their team and support their players, so there’s no better situation than the Warriors.”
Listen to the full interview below.