“You can feel invisible sometimes,” Looney said. athletic In July. “But I know what I bring. I know how much it matters.”
That’s the thing about life in the shadows. When he stays away from the limelight his value becomes obscure.
Looney felt the need to prove and re-prove his worth with Golden State again and again. He thought he had proved enough. But the team that knew him best made it clear to Looney that his value was gone. So, last offseason, Looney took money from New Orleans.
His tenure with the Warriors ended quietly, without any ceremony. He left the place he loved feeling forgotten, cast aside.
“It (was) not a moment,” Looney said after signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the Pelicans in June. “But like… in the playoffs, we’re going up against Steven Adams, and that’s what I do. And they weren’t giving me a chance to do what I do. And it’s like, ‘Okay, y’all don’t trust me. I thought y’all would trust me. Don’t y’all think I’m not that good now.'”
On Saturday, Golden State hosts the Pelicans, and Looney returns home. Go back to the place where they made their name. Back to face the Warriors, the team for which he gave his all for 10 seasons and the franchise that the three-time champions must ultimately remember. somehow.
As an advance payment for future honors, Looney will be reminded that he will never be forgotten. Not here.
The Bay Area doesn’t forget its workers. Local dynasties have always had beloved gum figures. Looney will have no shortage of love upon his return to Chase Center. It’s a reminder of how the business of basketball doesn’t inherently lend itself to sentimentality.
But at age 29, in his 11th season, Looney tries to prove his worth in a league obsessed with scorers, 3-point shooters and athletic wings. The Pelicans paid for his championship pedigree and professional approach, hoping it would impress their locker room (and their franchise star, Zion Williamson).
“I know what winning feels like,” he said in September. “I know what it takes not just in the playoffs, but every day. That’s what I want to bring here: professionalism, discipline, consistency. I’m here to help our stars shine and make sure the little things are taken care of.”
Looney has played in only nine of the Pelicans’ 19 games, starting six of them. They have made only 9 shots out of 26 and have been unable to find any kind of rhythm in the chaos of the clashes. New Orleans’ season derailed before Thanksgiving, head coach Willie Green was fired, and the Pelicans have the worst record in the Western Conference (3–16).
Teams with championship aspirations give the platform to blue-collar players who thrive on the little things. His toughness matters in high-leverage moments. When teams are mostly in similar positions his contributions make a difference. Bone-breaking screens, clutch offensive rebounds, extra passes – these sacrifices shine on the big stages.
But on bottom-feeders? Perhaps Looney can prove his usefulness there too. How he handles losing and inconsistent minutes. To develop winning habits. Talking about the young players who ultimately have to pull New Orleans out of this.
Looney emerged as a leader in the 2019–20 season. After Kevin Durant left the Warriors, and Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were injured, Looney became a veteran voice. The Warriors went 15-50, and the way he handled that season elevated him in the Warriors ecosystem. Over the next three seasons, Looney would prove that he could make an impact even without 20 shots a night.
“I’m very proud of that thing,” Looney said at Pelicans media day. “I take pride in doing all the little things, all the hard work, all the hard work. The stuff that doesn’t always show up in the box score. … Making an impact however I can, if it’s rebounding, setting screens, diving on the floor, whatever they need me to do, I’m willing to make the sacrifice and go out there and do it.”
but who knows? Maybe a more competitive team will trade for him. Maybe the value he believes in will lead him to a new home by the deadline.
Looney is a small center who does not stretch the floor. His handle and midrange game is better than most people think, but not good enough to make it a feature of his team’s offense.
So what is the importance of experts doing the dirty work? Of leaders with high character? How much room is there for throwback veterans and excellent teammates in this league?
Warriors fans will remember him switching and defending James Harden on the road in Houston in the 2018 Western Conference Finals. And was playing with a broken chest in the 2019 final. And saving a run for the 2022 postseason with his rebounding.
They can now use him against a defense that Draymond Green says lacks strength. For a locker room divided between stars and youngsters.
This is what is often lacking in modern roster construction in today’s NBA. Teams crave shooting and playmaking, as they should. But the ones with rough glue slip through the cracks and become unrecognizable. Looney found himself on the receiving end of every free agency deal. This time no offer ever came from the Warriors, who had invested all their capital at the top of the roster.
Now, he is in New Orleans. They don’t need him to score. They need to be themselves. To stabilize and guide. Being physical and imparting the habits that he had adopted in a dynasty.
A dynasty that will ensure it is never forgotten. Not around here.
“I will always love the Warriors,” Looney said. “That’s family forever. I felt like maybe they forgot about me in the end. But it doesn’t erase everything we did together.”
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