Warriors owner Joe Lacob couldn’t bring every fan favorite back to the Bay, but Kevon Looney was one player he couldn’t let walk away.
While appearing on The Athletic’s “The TK Show,” Lacob explained the importance of bringing back Golden State’s “Iron Man.”
“That was the priority for us honestly,” Lacob said. “He’s one of our own that we felt we had to bring back. First of all, he did a great job. Secondly, he’s been with us, he falls somewhat into the category of guys who’ve been with us, what, seven years now. He’s one of the longest-tenured guys in the league also now, people don’t stay with teams this long.
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“And with James Wiseman coming back this year, he’s looking great, we’re incredibly excited about it, but you can’t have one center. And until Wiseman actually plays, I don’t think we can go into the season without Looney.”
Looney agreed to return to the Warriors on a three-year contract worth $25.5 million, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week, citing sources.
The big man was dubbed the team's "Iron Man" after fulfilling his goal of playing in every regular-season game this past season.
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His value skyrocketed after setting single-game career highs in points and rebounds during the NBA playoffs, even earning himself "MVP" chants in the postseason run.
Looney stepped up for the Warriors when they needed him most, and it's surely paid off.