Kevon Looney: Falling to 30th in the draft put a chip on my shoulder

HoopsHype
·12 min read

“Getting invited into the Green Room, I was like, ‘Oh man, this is a dream come true,” Kevon Looney told FOX Sports. “But then to not get called until the 30th pick, you watch everyone get drafted, not knowing when you’re going to get picked or not. I actually left and came back. It was great, but sad at the same time. That put a chip on my shoulder.”
Source: FOX Sports @ FoxSports.com

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Dave McMenamin @mcten
New video: My @sportscenter report from Game 2 of the Western Conference finals where Kevon Looney busted out to turn the game around for the Dubs. pic.twitter.com/a4vh5hZgM8 – 1:48 PM

Marcus Thompson @ThompsonScribe
Your Game 2 episode of All-82, which probably should be renamed The Kevon Looney podcast at this point.
@Anthony Slater @Tim Kawakami
Apple: https://t.co/hOs7nQAGgM
Spotify: https://t.co/1r6Z8VdRH0
TA: https://t.co/qv4BVG5XYJ pic.twitter.com/H1ouFLVUg2 – 12:52 PM

Connor Letourneau @Con_Chron
Enjoyed this column from @annkillion on Kevon Looney, who received M-V-P chants last night: sfchronicle.com/sports/annkill… – 11:50 AM

Trey Kerby @treykerby
It looked like the torch may have been passed, but Connor McDavid and Kevon Looney are still the best players left in the playoffs. – 9:25 AM

Tania Ganguli @taniaganguli
Kevon Looney was once a wide-eyed rookie intimidated by joining the Warriors mid-dynasty. “They used to joke that I didn’t talk for the first 6 months,” he said. He’s now a critical part of the team’s next championship attempt, as he showed Friday night. nytimes.com/2022/05/21/spo… – 4:55 AM

Kendra Andrews @kendra__andrews
“MVP” chants rained down for Kevon Looney Friday night – an experience he called “nerve wracking.”
He became the first Warrior center with a 20 & 10 playoff game since the 70s as he led the charge in the Warriors’ comeback over the Mavs: espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 2:37 AM

Matt Steinmetz @SteinmetzNBA
Two questions: Is Maxi Kleber’s box score line among most pathetic ever … and is Kevon Looney poised to win first-ever Magic Johnson award? – 1:56 AM

Alex Kennedy @AlexKennedyNBA
Kevon Looney had a career-high 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Golden State Warriors rallied past the Dallas Mavericks 126-117 on Friday for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
“I feel honored just to be a part of the ride,” Looney said. https://t.co/qco2mEtHWy pic.twitter.com/sdB5D40dC0 – 12:55 AM

Mark Haynes @markhaynesnba
Jordan Poole isn’t surprised by how Kevon Looney played tonight.
“Loon is a dog. He’s always been a dog.” – 12:37 AM

Ric Bucher @RicBucher
Jordan Poole just got emotional talking about seeing Kevon Looney have the game he had tonight. GSW chemistry is truly something special. – 12:34 AM

Mark Haynes @markhaynesnba
Jordan Poole on him and Kevon Looney, coming from the same city, and watching Looney play well:
“The little kid in me is so excited…I’m so happy for him, and I’m happy to be a part of it. Shoutout to big bro Loon.” – 12:32 AM

CJ Holmes @CjHolmes22
Kevon Looney’s sister, Summer, graduated today. He made sure to shout her out while leaving the podium tonight. – 12:25 AM

Connor Letourneau @Con_Chron
Just a couple of years ago, Kevon Looney’s NBA career was on life support. Now, he’s a key difference-maker for a title contender. Feels like a good time to revisit this story I wrote in January: sfchronicle.com/sports/warrior… – 12:24 AM

CJ Holmes @CjHolmes22
Kevon Looney on the Warriors’ dominance in the paint tonight: pic.twitter.com/yg9ary6T9q – 12:20 AM

Mark Haynes @markhaynesnba
Kevon Looney on the crowd chanting MVP while he was shooting free throws:
“It was nerve-racking. I haven’t shot a free throw in like three weeks.” – 12:16 AM

Connor Letourneau @Con_Chron
More of Steve Kerr on Kevon Looney: “I don’t know where we’d be without him, frankly. He’s just been a huge part of our team.” – 12:01 AM

Trey Kerby @treykerby
Connor McDavid looking like Kevon Looney out there. – 12:00 AM

Mark Haynes @markhaynesnba
Steve Kerr on Kevon Looney:
“Loon is everybody’s favorite guy…He gives us a lot of stability that we need.” – 11:59 PM

Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
Steve Kerr says Kevon Looney is “incredibly underrated by everybody” and was “brilliant” tonight. In the 2nd half, Looney held the Mavericks to 0-7 FG as a primary defender, including holding Luka Doncic to 0-3 FG as his primary defender. Looney had 21 points and 12 rebounds. – 11:57 PM

CJ Holmes @CjHolmes22
Steve Kerr: “I thought Kevon Looney was brilliant tonight… He’s had a fantastic playoff run… He’s underrated by everybody.” – 11:56 PM

Christos Tsaltas @Tsaltas46
Kevon Looney over last 2 games vs Mavericks
15.5 points
8.5 rebounds
3 assists
78% FG
+12
#GoldBlooded – 11:53 PM

Rob Perez @WorldWideWob
Radio Roulette is LIVE @UnderdogFantasy
– Game 2(s)
– Scoring variance
– Jordan Poole roller coaster
– Mavs bench, how rule should apply
– Kevon Looney MVP
– Draymond rules
– Targeting Steph
– I fulfilled my promise, an update
– $100 giveaway
Join us!⬇️
youtube.com/watch?v=h3_MHo… – 11:38 PM

Michael Gallagher @MikeSGallagher
Kevon Looney post game interview.
He’s about to get that cheese like the Antonellis. – 11:37 PM

Melissa Rohlin @melissarohlin
The Warriors stormed back from a 19-point deficit to beat the Mavs in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, 126-117. The night belonged to Kevon Looney, who scored the most points ever in his career, regular season or postseason (21) on 10-for-14 shooting and grabbed 12 boards – 11:37 PM

Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater
Warriors go up 2-0 on the Mavericks.
-Kevon Looney: 21 points, 12 rebounds, 32 more gigantic minutes
-Jordan Poole: 23 bench points
-Otto Porter: 11-7-4-1-1 stat line off the bench
-Steph Curry: 32 points, closed it out late – 11:37 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Kevon Looney in Game 2:
21 PTS (career high)
12 REB
10-14 FG
MVP of the series. pic.twitter.com/wqbTX38B2a – 11:36 PM

Danny Leroux @DannyLeroux
Kevon Looney is younger than Karl-Anthony Towns, Christian Wood and Patrick McCaw – 11:25 PM

Connor Letourneau @Con_Chron
I honestly thought Kevon Looney wouldn’t play big minutes in this series, just because it seemed to have the makings of a small-ball-centric matchup. The fact that Looney has even had the chance to have a night like this speaks to how much Kerr trusts and values him. – 11:17 PM

Kerith Burke @KerithBurke
Kevon Looney currently has more made FGs than Luka Doncic – 11:13 PM

Ric Bucher @RicBucher
Have yourself a game, Kevon Looney (21 & 10 and counting)… – 11:13 PM

The Ringer @ringernba
Kevon Looney tonight pic.twitter.com/NVfqkyTE7s – 11:13 PM

Mark Haynes @markhaynesnba
Kevon Looney has a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds to go with those points. – 11:09 PM

Kendra Andrews @kendra__andrews
This is the first 20-point game in Kevon Looney’s career, including regular season and playoffs. H/t @ESPNStatsInfo
He has 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting and 10 rebonds in 29 minutes. 7:48 left in the game. – 11:09 PM

Chris Fedor @ChrisFedor
Who is paying Kevon Looney this summer?! – 11:09 PM

Mark Haynes @markhaynesnba
Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney have the Chase Center going crazy in the fourth quarter. Yes, you read that right, Poole and Looney. Warriors lead 97-92 with 7:48 left. – 11:08 PM

Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
Warriors center Kevon Looney has a career-high 21 points (playoffs and regular season) on 10-of-14 from the field to go with 10 rebounds, his second career postseason double-double (first in 2022 Playoffs). Via @Golden State Warriors PR – 11:08 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Kevon Looney is the first Warriors center with a 20/10 playoff game since Robert Parish in 1977. pic.twitter.com/LOBecakSy0 – 11:07 PM

Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater
That’s 21 points and 10 rebounds for Kevon Looney. First time he’s scored 20 points in his career, regular season or playoffs. – 11:07 PM

Connor Letourneau @Con_Chron
Kevon Looney with 21 points and 10 rebounds midway through the fourth quarter. Wow. – 11:07 PM

Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Kevon Looney has been terrific to start this series. Dominating his role by doing the little things on both ends, and the Mavs are struggling to attack him defensively – 11:05 PM

Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
Fully prepared for the Warriors to win the NBA title and Steph to lose out on Finals MVP to Kevon Looney. – 11:05 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Mavericks scored 13 3rd quarter points
Kevon Looney *created* 14 3rd quarter points (11 scored, assist to Wiggins 3) – 11:04 PM

Monte Poole @MontePooleNBCS
Every time I see Kevon Looney’s mother at a game, she has a standard line: ‘Hi! . . . Now write and say something good about my son. Not just that he’s a good guy.’ – 11:00 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Only player in this game for either team with more FGs than Kevon Looney (17 points, 8/11 FGs) through three quarters is Luka Doncic (28 points, 9/17 FGs) – 11:00 PM

Connor Letourneau @Con_Chron
We’ve talked a lot about the Warriors trying to sign Jordan Poole to an extension this summer. Guess what? Kevon Looney will be a free agent. Bringing him back will be a huge priority for Golden State. 17 points and 10 rebounds so far tonight. Been sensational yet again. – 10:59 PM

Dave McMenamin @mcten
Kevon Looney was nothing short of remarkable in that 3rd Q. He scored 11 pts on 5-of-6 shooting and held the Mavs to 0-of-5 shooting with a turnover on the defensive end. Mavs up 85-83 heading into the 4th. Here we go. – 10:58 PM

Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
Warriors center Kevon Looney scored 14 points in the third quarter. @ESPNStatsInfo – 10:58 PM

Shaun Powell @Powell2daPeople
Maxi Kleber letting Kevon Looney look like Olajuwon. – 10:57 PM

Michael Pina @MichaelVPina
kevon looney needs to renegotiate his contract during the commercial break – 10:56 PM

Mark Haynes @markhaynesnba
Kevon Looney is having another big game. The Warriors center has 15 points, 7 rebounds, and some MVP chants at the free-throw line. – 10:48 PM

Rob Perez @WorldWideWob
not even kidding when i say Kevon Looney has a legit chance of winning the first Western Conference Finals MVP. – 10:47 PM

Connor Letourneau @Con_Chron
Kevon Looney just stepped to the foul line to “M-V-P” chants. This crowd is showing its love for one of the Warriors’ unsung heroes. – 10:47 PM

Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
Kevon Looney is actually older than Robert Parish. – 10:46 PM

Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater
Kevon Looney playing his ass off again: 15 points, 7 rebounds, holding up well on switches, handling the interior with Draymond Green on the bench with five fouls. – 10:46 PM

Connor Letourneau @Con_Chron
Kevon Looney (12 points, six rebounds) is quietly putting together his third really solid performance in a row. His re-emergence has been key for the Warriors. – 10:42 PM

Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
Kevon Looney is proof that you shouldn’t pay Deandre Ayton the bag. – 10:33 PM

Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater
Kevon Looney getting his lower back wrapped on the bench. His workload has been upped way more than normal lately — 35 minutes in Game 6 vs Memphis, 28 minutes in G1 and 13 first half minutes tonight. – 10:07 PM

More on this storyline

After so much struggle, beginning with that fateful night at the NBA Draft nearly a decade ago, his brilliant performance Friday was a testament to his unwavering belief in himself. “Everything was going the wrong way, but I always just kind of stayed even-keel and keep working,” Looney told FOX Sports. ” And things have been working out for me. To have a moment like this is something special for me.” -via FoxSports.com / May 21, 2022

After having a career-night, as Looney walked toward the locker room, he was asked if that was his favorite moment he’s ever had on the court. He shook his head. “I would say the best moment is still winning the championship with them, even though in some games I didn’t play a lot,” Looney told FOX Sports. “But I was there and I contributed in certain series. So, I felt a part of it.” -via FoxSports.com / May 21, 2022

The Warriors came back from a 19-point deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks 126-117 in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. The Warriors now have a 2-0 advantage in the series. The first two quarters of the game were owned by the Mavericks. They hit 15 3-pointers in the first half, setting a new franchise record for 3s made in a playoff half. Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson became the second pair of starting guards to each score 20 points in the first half of a playoff game in the past 25 seasons. “I told them that if we developed some poise in the second half, the game would come to us,” Kerr said. “But I thought we were so scattered in the first half. Maybe emotionally more so than anything. Dallas came out and just punched us. We felt confident that if we [got poised], they wouldn’t make 15 3s in the second half.” -via ESPN / May 21, 2022

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Chinese zoo dyes dogs black and white to pass as pandas

    Taizhou Zoo in China's Jiangsu province has sparked outrage after its new panda exhibit turned out to be a pair of Chow Chow dogs dyed black and white. The zoo's latest attraction, which opened on May 1, was quickly slammed by visitors hoping to see real pandas, and has sparked widespread outrage, with activists alleging animal cruelty.

  • Dua Lipa reveals her strict diet and exercise routine on tour

    "There's like no drinking. Can't have hot sauce," she revealed on the Dish podcast, adding that she usually eats steak and vegetables before she goes on stage. "But I guess like, once I'm in the swing of things and I have like a routine and my body is really strong and healthy - it's just getting into stamina mode," said the 28-year-old. "It's like rehearsals, no drinking, working out, just back-to-back preparing for all the shows that's come. So, it's just running, dancing, singing, all at the same time

  • Q1 2024 Dutch Bros Inc Earnings Call

    Q1 2024 Dutch Bros Inc Earnings Call

  • Dow Jones Futures: Uber, Shopify Dive On Earnings But Three Stocks Flash Buy Signals

    Uber and Shopify sold off early Wednesday on earnings, but Arista Networks led stocks flashing buy signals on results.

  • Mattress retailer Sleep Country $8.7M Q1 profit, down from $11.3M a year earlier

    TORONTO — Sleep Country Canada Holdings Inc. reported its first-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as its revenue edged higher. Sleep Country chief executive Stewart Schaefer says shopping patterns remained volatile as consumers continued to navigate uncertain times. The mattress retailer says it earned $8.7 million or 26 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31 compared with a profit of $11.3 million or 32 cents per diluted share a year earlier. Revenue totalled $209.7 m

  • How much should college athletes get in new world of revenue sharing? Breaking down the numbers in an extremely difficult equation

    As execs continue trying to settle the latest antitrust cases and implement a new athlete compensation model, those around college sports have plenty of unanswered questions.

  • Is Reddit Stock A Buy After Surging On Its Q1 Earnings Report?

    Social media platform Reddit soared more than 120% from its IPO price. Following the IPO, is Reddit stock a buy in today's market?

  • There be sharks!

    CANSO — It’s the kind of tale any seadog might tell while sitting on the edge of his seat. But, Billy Bond, Canso fisher of everything from lobster to bluefin tuna for more than five decades, seems almost laid back when he recounts that time on the water, some six years ago, when he interrupted a great white shark in mid-meal. “I was out there with a few traps doing some experimental work with a professor and some Dalhousie University students, and I saw this seal floating,” he says. “When I got

  • UK Prime Minister Sunak suffers further blow as another Conservative lawmaker defects to Labour

    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was accused Wednesday of leading a “chaotic” government as another one of his Conservative lawmakers defected to the main opposition Labour Party ahead of a looming general election. In a stunning move just ahead of weekly prime minister's questions, Natalie Elphicke crossed the floor of the House of Commons to join the ranks of Keir Starmer's Labour Party, which appears to be heading to return to power after 14 years in opposition. Elphicke, who represents the constituency of Dover, which is at the front-line of migrant crossings from France, lashed out at the “broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic government" and said that Labour now occupies the center ground of British politics.

  • UPDATE 1-Teva Pharm Q1 profit misses estimates, revenue risea

    Teva Pharmaceutical Industries reported a smaller than expected rise in first-quarter profit citing higher impairments of tangible assets, while sales of copycat medicines and its branded drugs to treat migraines and Huntington's disease rose. The world's largest generic drugmaker said on Wednesday it earned 48 cents per diluted share excluding one-time items in the January-March quarter, up from 40 cents per share a year earlier. Teva said its bottom line was hurt mainly by higher impairments of tangible assets largely related to the classification of a business in its international markets segment as held for sale, as well as restructuring costs.

  • Channel 4 presses pause on 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown

    News comes amid network’s ongoing slowdown in programming and warnings of job cuts

  • Trump’s trial is a stupendous legal catastrophe

    Some had asked whether a jury selected in Manhattan, which voted overwhelmingly against Trump, could be fair in judging the former president. But now that we have moved beyond this point, the real problem Trump has is that his best arguments are legal in nature: prosecutors appeared to cobble together misdemeanours and felonies in order to find something with which to “get Trump.”

  • Full list of TSB's 36 branch closures as hundreds of jobs to go

    High street bank TSB has announced 250 job losses and the closure of 36 branches. The job cuts will be in the fraud operations department of the bank, central operations and staff who work at the branches earmarked for closure. Trade union Unite said the decision by the UK high street lender was a "grave mistake" and that customers would "undoubtedly suffer a downgrade in service from these job cuts".

  • Ducommun Inc (DCO) Q1 2024 Earnings: Solid Revenue Growth and Record Gross Margins

    Performance Surpasses Analyst Revenue Forecasts, Aligns with EPS Projections

  • Wolverine World Wide Exceeds First Quarter Revenue and Earnings Expectations

    Record Gross Margin Highlights Strong Start to 2024 Despite Revenue Decline

  • Largest Insider Buys: Top 10 Stocks

    In this article, we will take a detailed look at Largest Insider Buys: Top 10 Stocks. If you want to skip our detailed analysis and see the top 5 stocks in this list, click Largest Insider Buys: Top 5 Stocks. Why and when do insiders buy their company shares? Can you use publicly available insider trading data to your […]

  • Sheriff requests nude photos from inmate in exchange for favorable treatment, feds say

    The former Mississippi sheriff was accused of bribery and lying to the FBI.

  • Hottest April on record extends global temperature streak

    STORY: ::Julien Nicolas, Copernicus climate scientist"April this year was the warmest April on record globally. That's the 11th month for which the temperature has been the warmest on record for the same month in all previous year for which we have data.":: May 7, 2024"What's most puzzling, is that despite the end of the El Nino event, the global sea surface temperature remains so high. Many scientists have asked the question whether there could be a shift in the climate system. I think that's, that's one of the questions that is keeping scientists, climate scientists busy at the moment, is trying to understand whether we fully understand the climate system or if something had a shift, whether we have reached a possible tipping point."Each month since June 2023 has ranked as the planet's hottest on record, compared with the corresponding month in previous years, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said in a monthly bulletin.Including April, the world's average temperature was the highest on record for a 12-month period - 1.61 degrees Celsius above the average in the 1850-1900 pre-industrial period.Some of the extremes - including months of record breaking sea surface temperatures - have led scientists to investigate whether human activity has now triggered a tipping point in the climate system.

  • Tory MP Natalie Elphicke defects to Labour with blast at Sunak’s ‘chaotic’ rule

    The Dover MP said she was motivated by Tory failings over small boats and housing.

  • United Parks & Resorts Inc. Reports Modest Revenue Growth Amidst Operational Challenges in ...

    Record Adjusted EBITDA Achieved Despite Weather Impacts and Attendance Fluctuations