Warriors share perfect Kevon Looney video tribute
Fans of the Golden State Warriors didn't hide their grief after longtime center Kevon Looney decided to move on and signed with the New Orleans Pelicans as a free agent.
Advertisement
Looney agreed to a two-year contract with the Pelicans worth $16 million. He will provide veteran leadership in the frontcourt, guiding young big men Yves Missi, Karlo Matkovic, and Derik Queen.
The 29-year-old Looney will definitely be missed in the Bay Area, where he spent his first 10 seasons in the NBA after being drafted by the Warriors as the 30th overall pick in 2015. Over the years, he had become a fan favorite with his grit, tenacity, and professionalism.
On X, the Warriors shared a video tribute for Looney—make sure you have tissues around—showing his milestones with the squad, highlighted by his three championships. It also included a narration from former general manager Bob Myers, who took a chance on Looney as a diamond in the rough.
'It doesn't matter where you're picked. It matters what you do from that day on or that evening on. So if you're the first pick, it doesn't mean you made it. If you're the 30th pick or the 60th pick, it doesn't mean you didn't,' said Myers.
His teammates and coach Steve Kerr also had nothing but positive words for Looney, calling him the 'ultimate glue guy' and a 'special human being.' Warriors star Stephen Curry summarized Looney's contributions perfectly.
Advertisement
'His voice, it matters when he speaks up, and he's as important to the fabric of our team culture as anybody,' said Curry.
Aside from Looney's workhorse quality on the floor, he was also an integral part of the community in Golden State, especially with the kids. To some, his willingness to give back was his true value.
The fact that the Warriors made a tribute video even before his return to Chase Center is a testament to how beloved Looney is in the Bay Area.
Related: LeBron James, Stephen Curry's NSFW 2016 NBA Finals trash talk leaked
Related: Warriors' Draymond Green denies NBA free agency, CBA rant is about Jonathan Kuminga
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
40 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 40
From Dalton Hilliard and Mike Bell to Delvin Breaux We are down to a 40-day wait until the New Orleans Saints take the field for their 2025 regular season opener at home against the Arizona Cardinals. Rookie seventh round choice Fadil Diggs is currently in possession of the No. 40 for the Saints. Diggs is trying to become the 19th player in New Orleans franchise history to wear that number during the regular season. Here is the complete list of who preceded him. Saints' History of No. 40 Earl Gros was the first to put on a No. 40 jersey for New Orleans, but did so for only one game. Hoyle Granger was the first to wear it for an entire season but was only a Saint through the 1971 campaign. Of the 18 players who have worn No. 40 with the Saints, 17 of them did so for two years or less, with 13 of those wearing it for just one year. Terry Schmidt was the first player to keep 40 for more than a season, the first one to be drafted by the Saints to wear No. 40, and also the first defensive player to wear it. Schmidt was with the Saints for two seasons and led the 1974 squad with 4 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Dalton Hilliard was a Round 2 choice, 31st overall, from the LSU Tigers in the 1986 NFL draft, the highest drafted player by New Orleans to wear No. 40. Hilliard had a fantastic eight-year career as a Saint. However, he only wore 40 during his 1986 rookie season before switching to his more-familiar No. 21. As a rookie, Hilliard had 138 offensive touches for 532 yards and 5 scores. Robert Massey was also a Round 2 pick, selected with the 46th overall choice by the Saints in the 1989 NFL draft out of North Carolina Central. Massey had a promising start to his career, intercepting 5 passes for an outstanding 1989 New Orleans defense. He was only with the Saints for two years, however, before going on to standout years with the Phoenix Cardinals and three other teams through 1997. Brian Milne arrived as a free-agent addition in 2000, which would turn out to be his only year with the team and last of a five-year NFL career. Milne split time at fullback during the 2000 season, rushing for one score, and was also a strong special teams performer. It was there that he was part of one of the most iconic plays in franchise history. The Saints were holding onto a thin 31-28 lead over the St. Louis Rams in a 2000 wild-card playoff game. Milne would recover a fumbled punt late in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory, the first postseason win in New Orleans history. Mel Mitchell was a fifth-round choice by the Saints in the 2002 NFL draft. More notably, Mitchell is the only player to wear No. 40 with the Saints for more than two years, suiting up for three years and 44 games as primarily a special teams contributor. Of the nine offensive players to wear No. 40 for New Orleans, none wore it for longer than one season. Running back Mike Bell had a strong 2009 in the backfield rotation during the team's Super Bowl XLIV title run, finishing second in rushing yardage. He wore No. 21 that season, only wearing 40 for four games after being signed late in 2008. The story of Delvin Breaux is one of courage and resilience. A star at McDonogh 35, Breaux broke his neck during a game and was unable to play collegiately at LSU. Instead, he'd rehabilitate his injury and starred for the Louisiana Bayou Vipers before going on to be one of the best players in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. From there, Breaux's unlikely journey to the NFL continued when signed by the Saints in 2015. Breaux instantly earned a starting job and started all 16 contests that year. He was a standout corner on an otherwise bad defense, shutting down some of the league's finest receivers and leading the Saints with 3 interceptions and 19 passes broken up. A broken leg that was misdiagnosed by team doctors in 2016 limited Breaux to only six games and hastened the end of his NFL career the following year. He'd return to the CFL as an all-star but would have undoubtedly had a longer stint as a standout with his hometown Saints if not for the blunders of the medical staff. Since Delvin Breaux, only two players have worn No. 40 for New Orleans in the last eight seasons, doing so for a combined 11 contests. Fadil Diggs now gets his shot at an edge rusher spot where the Saints are desperate for talent and production.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sean Payton: Dre Greenlaw plays like Mike Tyson
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw made the most of the first day in pads at Broncos training camp. Greenlaw filled gaps and delivered hits throughout team drills in Denver and head coach Sean Payton said you didn't even have to be watching to know that Greenlaw was the one landing blows. Payton said "you can hear it" when Greenlaw makes a hit and then went on to compare his style to another knockout artist from a different sport. "He plays like Mike Tyson," Payton said, via the team's website. "He's tough, he's physical. He's built that way. There's not a lot of leaky yardage. Some guys [allow that]. He's a knock-back tackler. They stop where he hits them. There's an intensity to how he plays. He's one of those players that if you put the film on and didn't say anything, at some point early, you'd ask, 'Who is this guy?'" Greenlaw was limited to two games for the 49ers last year because of injuries and a quad injury interrupted his first offseason in Denver, so one key for the Broncos will be making sure Greenlaw's healthy enough to deploy that physicality on a regular basis. If he is, facing an already tough Broncos defense will be even less enjoyable for opposing offenses in 2025.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Commanders put OL Nate Herbig on reserve/retired list
Veteran offensive lineman Nate Herbig is walking away from football. Herbig signed with the Commanders this offseason, but the team announced on Tuesday morning that he has been placed on the team's reserve/retired list. He will no longer count against the team's 90-man roster limit. Herbig spent the last two seasons with the Steelers, but did not play at all in 2024 after a rotator cuff injury. Herbig appeared in 17 games for the Steelers in 2023 and he started 11 games at guard for the Jets in 2022. The Eagles signed Herbig as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and he started 17 of the 33 games he played while with Philadelphia. Nick Allegretti and Chris Paul remain on hand as depth options at guard in Washington.
