Kevon Looney’s heartfelt Warriors goodbye surely left many a teary eye in Dub Nation.
On June 30, the Bay Area fan favorite reportedly agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans in free agency.
After 10 seasons and three NBA titles with Golden State, the veteran big man shared how he broke the news to longtime teammates Steph Curry and Draymond Green in a Players’ Tribune article published Sunday.
And though Looney clearly means this as a happy goodbye, it’s hard not to get emotional reading this conclusion to his open letter:
And so, with that, I’ll leave you with what me, Steph, and Draymond said to each other when I called them last week to break the news, Looney wrote.
Those were my first two calls. Those guys, they’ve been my big brothers for the past 10 years — showing me the ropes, guiding me, helping me to grow up. I relied on those two so much throughout my time as a Warrior. And especially when I first came into the league, I needed that guidance, that wisdom, the friendship. I’m not a big crier, but calling to tell them I’m heading somewhere else was pretty emotional for me, just to be real with you. It was like, I don’t know … I felt those conversations in my heart.
Since being selected No. 30 overall out of UCLA in the 2016 NBA Draft, Looney has been a model of consistency in Golden State, highlighted by his streak of 290 consecutive games played from 2021-24.
I hope they know how grateful I am. How thankful.
I hope you all know. Truly. Everyone in the Bay, and Warriors fans around the world.
Because these past 10 years have been more than I ever could have dreamed of.
So, yeah, before we hung up those phones, it was like….
“What a journey we all went on together!”
“Ten amazing years.”
“It’s been one hell of a ride!”
Not every ending has gotta be a sad ending.
I’m leaving the Bay with a huge smile on my face.
Thank you for the ride.
Of course, Dub Nation is just as thankful for the contributions of the ever-underrated Looney, who, despite not putting up extraordinary numbers throughout his tenure, undoubtedly was a vital piece of the Warriors dynasty.
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