On June 30, within minutes of NBA free agency opening up, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Kevon Looney would be departing the Golden State Warriors for New Orleans. The agreement between Looney and the Pelicans will bring closure to a legendary career that saw the big man serve as one of the franchise’s mainstays during its Golden Era. Alongside Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, Looney is a core member of the squad whose tenure saw the Dubs win four consecutive Western Conference titles from 2016-2019 and three NBA championships in 2017, 2018 and 2022.
Selected with the 30th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the big man from UCLA joined the team nine days after it won its first championship since 1975, and since then, has been a model citizen who made a name for himself by working hard, maximizing his talent and always putting the team first.
Naturally, news of his departure has caused quite a reaction, the most noteworthy of which came from former Warrior Jordan Poole. Teammates on the 2022 championship team, Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards the following offseason. He spent the past two season there before the Wizards agreed to send him to New Orleans for a package that features veteran guard CJ McCollum.The result? Poole and Looney will now be reunited in The Big Easy.Poole took to Instagram to share his excitement.
“Omg!!! It’s so lit,” Poole wrote on Instagram after the news broke.
Meanwhile, veteran NBA scribe Marc Spears — one of the most respected voices in the business — opined that Looney’s jersey could one day be retired by the franchise. “Some sad people in the Bay right now,” Spears said reacting to the news on NBA Today with Malika Andrews. “As odd as it might sound, he may get his jersey retired one day… He’s been the hard hat guy for the Warriors.”
For the most part, Dub Nation seemed to collectively share the same sentiment — happy for Looney, but sad to be losing one of the team’s pillars. With Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala having long departed the franchise, Looney becomes the latest to depart. Without question, though, his legacy will live on.
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Jordan Poole reacts excitedly to New Orleans reunion with Kevon Looney
Reporting by Moke Hamilton, Warriors Wire / Warriors Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
