Russell Westbrook sang Kevon Looney’s praises in a recent Rico Hines pro run, saying the Golden State Warriors big man is in the league for a long time because he does his job.
In a video posted on Twitter/X, Hines appeared to get a few words out of Looney after a scrimmage. Looney seems hesitant, but Westbrook sets the stage by praising his fellow UCLA Bruin.
“Listen up! He’s been in the league a long time for a reason. Not because he’s super athletic, all these crazy tricks. But he do his job, man. He do his job every night.”
Russell Westbrook on Kevon Looney
Looney was the Warriors’ first-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He went from a third-string big who played less than 10 minutes a night to a full-time starter. The team sorely needs the 6-foot-9 center’s presence on the glass, and he seems to flourish in that role.
In fact, Looney had three games where he recorded 20+ rebounds and five-plus rebounds while scoring less than five points. The others in that company? The legendary Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell!
Ever the silent operator, Looney also dropped some words of his wisdom for the young guys in the private run.
“We go hard every day. I was going to say continue working on your game and find out what you’re great at. Everybody’s trying to add too much to the game. Just focus on one thing, hold on to that, and make a big difference… We have to really find a role playing, you can play a long time, make a lot of money. So focus on this stuff in summertime.”
Kevon Looney on finding a role
Looney is in the middle of a three-year, $22.5 million contract. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025, but with his role-player credentials, he’s in line for a bigger contract. If that’s not going to happen in the Bay Area, it will definitely come to fruition elsewhere.
