After ten seasons, three championships, and countless moments of quiet brilliance, Kevon Looney is officially closing the Golden State chapter of his basketball journey. In a heartfelt essay published in The Players’ Tribune, the veteran big man reflected on his time with the Warriors, offering gratitude, vulnerability, and a glimpse into the soul of a player who often let his game do the talking.
Looney, who recently signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, titled his farewell letter “Thank You, Bay Areaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa”. The piece reads less like a goodbye and more like a love letter to a franchise and a fanbase that helped shape him from a quiet 19-year-old rookie into a battle-tested champion.
“How do you say goodbye to a place that practically raised you in a lot of ways?” Looney wrote. “A place that saw you go from a boy to a man?”
Drafted 30th overall in 2015, Looney entered a Warriors locker room fresh off a championship and brimming with Hall of Fame talent. He was injured, overwhelmed, and admittedly shy. So much so that teammates joked he didn’t speak for his first six months. But over time, he found his voice, his role, and his rhythm.
One of the turning points, he recalled, came during a now-iconic game in Oklahoma City when Draymond Green and Steve Kerr got into a heated exchange on the bench. That moment of raw emotion, Looney said, made him feel like he belonged.
“That was the kind of thing I was used to with hoops. It was like… OK, I’m home.”
Looney’s journey wasn’t linear. He battled through hip surgeries, limited minutes, and trade rumors. But by 2022, he had become the Warriors’ ironman, playing all 82 games, starting 80 of them, and anchoring the team’s defense during their championship run. He fondly recalled Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against Dallas, when MVP chants rained down on him at Chase Center.
“I’d gotten LOOOOOON chants before, which I absolutely loved. But MVP? For me? Come on now. That’s a moment I’ll never forget as long as I live.”
Despite his departure, Looney made it clear there are no hard feelings. He understood the business side of the game and expressed nothing but appreciation for the Warriors’ front office, coaching staff, and fans. He even admitted to sweating out trade deadlines in past seasons, hoping his phone wouldn’t ring.
“Throughout my 10 years with Golden State, there was never a second when I wanted to be anything other than a Warrior.”
Now, as he prepares to bring his veteran leadership to a young Pelicans squad, Looney leaves behind a legacy that transcends box scores. He was never the flashiest player on the court, but he was often the most dependable… the glue guy, the screen-setter, the rebounder, the quiet enforcer.
And in the eyes of Dub Nation, he’ll always be a Warrior.
