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Whew, this is not gonna be easy.

I honestly don’t even know where to start. It’s like….

How do you say goodbye to a place that practically raised you in a lot of ways? A place that saw you go from a boy to a man? A place where you’ve made so many lifelong friends and experienced some of the best times imaginable?

I have so much to be grateful and appreciative for over the past 10 years. This place, it’s truly changed my life forever.

…

And looking back on that time now, I was pretty much the luckiest man in the world … when you think about what I walked into.

Golden State had just beaten the Cavs to win a championship, so I knew we’d be good. But once I got to the Bay, I mean … what I saw? It was almost unreal. It was like I was living in some basketball video game where you can’t ever beat the computer.…

And we were the computer.

I had hip surgery before the season started, so I was out for a big chunk of that year, but I remember coming home from practices and talking with my folks, or friends back in Milwaukee and being like: “No joke, Steph … you don’t even understand. It’s insane. I’m pretty sure he’s the best player I’ve ever seen in my life.”

We lost nine games all season.

Nine.

Total.

For the entire regular season, 73–9. Like are you kidding me?

Obviously I can’t take any credit at all for that excellence, but I can tell you that it was fun as hell to watch from up close. Steph and Klay and them, they like to say that I didn’t talk to anyone for the first six months. And I dispute that for sure. But I will admit that I only really started being myself after I saw Coach Kerr and Draymond screaming at each other during that game at OKC when Steph hit the half-court buzzer beater in OT.

That was like four or five months into the season.

Before that, there was no adversity. We would basically never lose, or really even come close to losing. There was nothing to get worked up about. No reasons to be fiery or passionate. And to me it was … weird.

It was like everything was too perfect, you know what I mean? And that made me uncomfortable. Because I knew full well that me? Some young kid from Milwaukee? I was far from perfect. So I was walking on eggshells. Basically stayed keeping quiet.

But when I saw Dray and Coach go at it that night? Saw them be human and show some raw emotion? Saw how much they cared, the fire? Everything kind of changed for me right then. That was the kind of thing I was used to with hoops. It was like….

OK, I’m home.

After that, I opened up more, and Draymond took me under his wing, Andre, too. I was able to really be myself after that.

31 comments

  2. He was a real one. I’ll miss him on the team. And i wish him all the best on the next leg of his journey.

  3. Always got 5 on it for Looney!!!

    Played with broken rib in the finals!!!

  5. Amazing he’s had the career he has with bad hips. Hip injuries are some of the most debilitating for mobility. Good on him for still being in it.

    There is a reason broken hips are some of the most feared injuries amongst seniors. If you’re old and break your hip, the odds of you ever regaining full mobility again is low and the decrease in activity directly leads to a shorter life.

  6. Have always had a soft spot for Looney. What he did for the team was so underrated.

    During the last championship run, he was Super Man. Dude was outrebounding everyone. Dude was pure hustle and heart. You can say his game lacked, but he still showed up when called upon.

  8. Will miss Looney on the Dubs, but the Pelicans got a good one, best of luck to him in the Big Easy.

  9. I teared up reading this..going to miss Loon. Hope he comes back for a front office job or assistant coaching job when he’s done playing

  11. > This was not an easy decision for me. I know that I’ve had it good for the past 10 years, believe me. And year after year, any time free agency came up, I always said that if the money was even close, I’m gonna choose to stay. This time around, though, it wasn’t something where the Warriors made me a solid, competitive offer, and I would be able to pick between the two … or maybe give the Warriors a bit of a discount. That wasn’t even an option this time, unfortunately. That offer never really came. And look, I understand. It’s a business. And I’m excited to start a new chapter in New Orleans. It’s no hard feelings.
    >
    > But it is some *sad feelings.* Some emotions.
    >
    > At least on my end.

    😩

  12. Loondog (LoonGOD) will always be a Bay Area legend. So much respect; he needs to come back and retire a Warrior

  13. It shows you how wildly different fans and the people actually involved can view events. Like, I doubt many fans watch a coach and a player screaming at each other and think, oh yeah, this is what’s gonna unlock our new rookie. 

  15. LOON! What a great goodbye to the Bay. I know all good things must end, but it still hits me right in the feels. I wish him all the best in New Orleans. It was a heck of a ride.

  16. “It was almost unreal. It was like I was living in some basketball video game where you can’t ever beat the computer.…

    And we were the computer.”

    Put this in the rafters as the all time great Player’s Tribune quote.

  17. I didn’t expect to have some tears in my eyes as I read that, but I can’t say I’m upset over it. Looney is a bonafide Bay Area legend, and I’m still sad he isn’t going to be a lifer. I’m wishing him the best of luck, and everyone down in Nola better take good care of him

  19. I genuinely love looney. Wish he never had hip issues but he seems like an awesome guy. Its weird that I am sad he isn’t on the warriors anymore

  22. My stomach dropped when I saw that Looney had signed with the Pelicans. It sounds like the Warriors weren’t willing to offer anywhere near the $16 mil that he got from the Pelicans. I get it for the Warriors from a business perspective and I also understand why he left to chase the money but seeing him in a non-Warriors jersey is going to feel so wrong. I always wanted him to become the Warriors’ Udonis Haslem.

  23. This letter was really well written. I recommend reading the full thing. Definitely teared up reading it

  25. I’m going full fanboy. Loongod is my favorite player ever. I’ve read other things he’s written before and he is able to draw emotion and frame stories very well. He’s also able to set screens like a freight train, rebound over your entire team, and read where the ball is going with the best of them. A absolute goddamn professional. I would vote for him to be my president. Pelicans you got a good one.

  27. “And look, Joe, don’t get me wrong. I love Chase Center. It’s great. Beautiful. I loved playing there. First-class everything. Don’t @ me. But Oracle? All those memories? Oakland? Those crowds? That NOISE?

    Oracle’s undefeated with me, for sure. It’s a shrine. Definitely the best arena I ever played in as far as a crowd goes, an energy. Playing there … it sounds weird to say it, but it was almost like that place was actually alive. Like it had a heartbeat. A personality. Like it was a living, breathing thing.

    People now, the young guys coming up, it’s like … they don’t even know. ”

    Amazing

  28. THEY DIDN’T EVEN GIVE A FUCKING OFFER?

    What is our office doing

  30. Looney has the body of a 80 year old and yet his game IQ has to be one of the best ive ever seen, his ludicrous positioning on offense was just so frustratingly good

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