Year after year, Kevon Looney is establishing himself as a key player for the Warriors, and after a season that was as average on both a collective and individual level, the pivot wants to develop his game. At 28, the three-time NBA champion will move away from the circle, and no longer be satisfied with crumbs on offensive rebounds or lobbed passes.
“I'm going to shoot a lot more” he warns. “I’m approaching this season a little bit differently, expanding my game and trying to improve a little bit. It’s something I’ve been working on for years, but now it’s time for me to shoot 3-pointers, shoot more mid-range. Steve wanted me to get better at that, and I can say that I’m shooting a lot and I feel good about my game. There’s going to be a lot of surprises next season.”
Speak more to establish yourself as a leader
Even though he saw his stats drop, the player considers that he progressed last season, and more specifically in leadership. “I have become a much better leader” he confirms. “I'm talking more, and I'm seeing the game better. That's where I feel like I've improved a lot. My first couple years in the league, I didn't talk a lot, but as I get older, the kids start leaning on me more, I'm talking more and my teammates can lean on me more.”
To gain confidence in this role, he has been able to count on Stephen Curry for several seasons, but he also retains the contribution of Chris Paul last season.
“He surprised me a lot”admits Kevon Looney. “After competing with him for years, I already respected him as a player and a basketball player, but he was always our rival – no matter what team he was on, it was always Chris Paul! So he was really hated in our locker room for a long time. But having him on our side, fighting to win and going to the front lines with him made me respect him more.”
Drawing inspiration from Chris Paul's passion
And what does he remember in particular? “He’s already a Hall of Famer and to learn from him and see his work ethic on a daily basis, how much he loves the game, how much he cares about the development of the game and how the game continues to grow, it’s just incredible. I’ve learned a lot from him. I’ve learned how to be more professional, how to take care of myself… He’s going to be in his 20s next year and he’s a point guard and he’s still competing at the highest level as a starter… As a player going into his 10th year, I want to be able to play like him for a long time, so I need to be able to see how he takes care of his body and how he looks at the game and loves the game. His approach to things has really changed mine as well.”
