To give up personal objectives in favor of the team’s overall success requires a tremendous deal of bravery and pride. Kevon Looney has accomplished this this season for the Golden State Warriors, a team that consistently contends for a championship when the NBA Playoffs roll around. The Warriors’ inability to appear like the championship contenders they usually are has caused multiple lineup changes and a constant shifting of responsibilities throughout the squad, which is the issue this year.
Looney has discovered that he is a member of the seasoned group whose roles have changed. As the foundation of this team, Looney—a three-time champion with the Golden State Warriors—has earned the right to be mentioned among players like Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry. Looney has undoubtedly played a significant role in Golden State’s dynasty since their second title in 2017, even though he may not have the stature to be considered for the Hall of Fame alongside Curry, Thompson, and Green. One day, it wouldn’t be shocking to see his jersey hanging in the Chase Center rafters next to that of his teammates.
Everyone is aware of the skill and experience that we have on staff, Looney said in a special interview with ClutchPoints. “Our coach is the best in the league.” Chris [Paul], Steph, Dray, and Klay are all Hall of Famers. Wiggs and I are champions. We simply possess all the necessary elements to defeat any opposition side. Given how Steph is playing in the latter stages of his career, we will always have the greatest player on the court on any given night.
When it comes to the postseason, we believe we have as high of a ceiling as any other club in the league. All we need to do is get there. Even while it’s not guaranteed at this time and won’t be simple, we still know we are
The Warriors’ inability to string together consecutive wins since the end of February is their biggest issue. Golden State has failed to establish themselves as serious contenders in the West this season due to their ongoing struggle to achieve consistency. For this team, home-court advantage has always been important. The Warriors are just 18-19 at home with a few weeks left in the regular season. To exacerbate the situation, they now have a mere half-game lead over the Houston Rockets heading into Tuesday night’s road game against the Miami Heat.
This team’s struggle to find consistent performance outside of Curry has presented challenges for head coach Steve Kerr and his staff this season, in contrast to the best teams in the Western Conference who have stuck with the same starting lineup the entire time. Due to his lack of scoring this season, Andrew Wiggins has found himself coming off the bench occasionally; Paul has done the same; and Thompson was just put into a bench position just before the All-Star break.
This season, Looney has become one of the Warriors’ championship-winning players who will be starting on the bench. Looney’s 254 games played during the regular season and 289 during the playoffs—which was the second-longest active streak in the league behind Brooklyn Nets ironman Mikal Bridges—were actually broken by this shift to the bench.
The 28-year-old has long been very proud of his accessibility. Looney is not the kind of player who will skip a game because of a little injury or illness. Having saying that, Looney has never prioritized the team before his own objectives.
For the seasoned player, shifting roles is nothing new, and he will stop at nothing to position the Warriors for success.
It’s undoubtedly difficult to have your role changed after years of winning championships. Although I wasn’t first happy to hear this news, who am I to choose my ego and pride over the team when players like Chris and Klay are coming off the bench? Looney asked himself in doubt. “We’ve been giving everything up as a team in order to succeed. I respected this adjustment since I knew Steve thought highly of me. All I want to do for this squad is give it my all. I’m going to be the same player that everyone knows when it’s my turn again and he wants me to go out there. All that matters is that we win.
Even in situations where it could be advantageous for them, no player in the league like being told they will be substituted for. Every NBA player has the same desire: they all want to win and want to be the team’s main weapon. Looney was initially very frustrated, as anyone in their line of business would be, when he sat down and talked with Kerr about the adjustment that was going to be made. The fact that the Warriors have so many players that can suit various needs is what makes them such a special squad. While Jackson-Davis and Looney give the Warriors a strong rebounding presence, Jackson-Davis allows the Warriors to play a little faster and move ahead of
This season, the term “sacrifice” has been heard often in the Warriors’ locker room. Two future Hall of Famers who gave up for the team’s success are Paul and Thompson. Looney is now the one accepting this shift, remaining upbeat, and maintaining his concentration on the task at hand: winning the playoffs.
“In the end, I just want to be the best teammate I can be, even though it may sound corny,” Looney said. “I have experience in this capacity on the bench before. I’ve played a variety of roles on this team, and the three championships I was fortunate enough to help the team win attest to that.
