Warriors center Kevon Looney grateful for family, teammates, health this Thanksgiving
Kevon Looney has played in every game this season and owns the league's second-longest active streak for consecutive games played.
>Golden State Warriors’ Kevon Looney (5) dunks the ball against Sacramento Kings’ Harrison Barnes (40) in the second quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
By MADELINE KENNEY | mkenney@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: November 23, 2022 at 12:41 p.m. | UPDATED: November 23, 2022 at 5:33 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/11/23/warriors-center-kevon-looney-grateful-for-family-teammates-health-this-thanksgiving/

SAN FRANCISCO – Kevon Looney has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

He’s grateful for his family, who has supported him throughout his basketball journey, as well as his mother’s homemade dressing that he’ll be sure to enjoy Thursday.

“She’s been trying to retire it and not cook it anymore, she wants me to stay healthy,” Looney said Wednesday morning, with a laugh. “But this is the one time of the year I got to eat it.”

But Looney is also thankful for his health, which has been one of his proudest accomplishments over the past season-plus.

Looney has been a stabilizing force for the Warriors, appearing in 151 consecutive regular-season and postseason games. It’s been a much-welcomed turn of events for Looney, who battled various injuries in the early years of his career.

The former first-round draft pick played only five NBA games and 12 G League contests his rookie season as he dealt with injuries that ultimately required separate surgeries on each hip. Looney also was limited during the 2019-20 season as he suffered a neuropathic condition and injured an abdominal muscle that needed to be surgically repaired.

After being the team’s iron man last season, Looney is once again vying to play in all 82 games.

An injury to his hand suffered in the Warriors’ win over the Rockets Sunday night threatened Looney’s chances to play a complete season. He was listed as questionable entering Monday’s game against the Pelicans, though he was ultimately given the green light to play before tip-off.

Looney played only five minutes in what ultimately was the Warriors’ most lopsided loss of the season. He said he thought he was capable of playing more but respected coach Steve Kerr’s decision.

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“It means a lot to me to be able to play in every game, be available,” Looney said.

Looney is playing a career-high 21 minutes per game and averaging 5.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists, entering Wednesday’s game against the shorthanded Clippers, who are without Kawhi Leonard (right ankle sprain), Paul George (right hamstring tendon strain) and Luke Kennard (right calf strain).

Looney said his body is “feeling really good” and has handled the increased playing time “very well.”

“I feel like I’m playing better and [I’m going to] try to keep it up,” he added.

Wednesday will be Looney’s 130th consecutive regular-season game, which is the second-longest active streak behind only Suns forward Mikal Bridges, who’s played in 326 straight contests.

“[If] a game comes up and I don’t play then I’m really not feeling good,” Looney said.

There’s one other thing Looney is thankful for. “My teammates,” he said.

“In life, when you got a lot of things going on, you got your friends but these guys are like family. And to be able to go through wars with these guys and be able to rely on them and when I’m going through stuff, these are guys that come into work every day and share a lot of joy with.”

James Wiseman update

Kerr said early returns on James Wiseman in Santa Cruz have been great.

He still doesn’t have an idea on how long the former No. 2 overall pick will stay with the G League. But Kerr believes Wiseman is benefitting from the less hectic schedule and additional practices, which he said are “really valuable.”

“It’s definitely helping him and I have no idea what’s next. We’re going to sort of play that by ear as it goes,” Kerr said.

Wiseman has played in three G League games since being sent down a week ago.. In his third game Tuesday night, Wiseman, who’s had two double-double with Santa Cruz in three games, scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds while committing just one turnover in 26 minutes.