Green believes Looney deserves Warriors jersey retirement originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Draymond Green believes that once Kevon Looney retires, no other player should be allowed to wear No. 5.
On Friday, Green reposted an image to his Instagram story stating Looney had done more than enough in his eight seasons with Golden State to get his jersey retired, to which Green added “Only Facts.”
Since being drafted No. 30 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft out of UCLA, Looney has bloomed into a quintessential member of the Warriors dynasty, helping Golden State win three championships since entering the league.
From playing five games in his rookie season to seemingly being on the floor at all times, Looney has been the ironman of the Warriors’ roster, playing in 164 straight games, either off the bench or as a starter.
During Golden State’s NBA Finals series against the Boston Celtics, the 27-year-old constantly was pounding the boards, punishing the Celtics’ bigs.
Then in the Warriors’ first-round playoff series against the Sacramento Kings in 2023, Looney was nigh-unstoppable on the glass. Looney had over 20 rebounds in three games and had five games with more than 10 rebounds in the seven-game series.
So dominant was Looney on the boards that he joined Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell as the only players in NBA history to grab 20 rebounds, dish out five assists and score fewer than five points in three career playoff games.
Following Looney’s dominant showing against the Kings, Green called his frontcourt mate a “stabilizing force” that allows the other Warriors players to do what they need to do.
It’s not just Green that has noticed the impact Looney has — former Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson stated in April that his former teammate should get his jersey retired alongside Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
“I’m very glad that he’s getting his flowers, because he definitely deserves it and he’s been a very vital part of this championship success that the Warriors have had,” Toscano-Anderson said to 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs.” “I don’t think it will be too crazy to one day, possibly, see Looney’s number be retired up there in the rafters.
“It’s great to see, Loon’s a great guy, he’s the ultimate teammate, I think the Warriors have really gotten a steal with Loon because he deserves so much more, so I’m really happy for him.”
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For his part, Looney said he wants to be a Warrior for the rest of his career and considering how seamlessly he fits with the rest of Golden State’s stars, it makes sense if the 6-foot-9 center stays in the Bay.
And if that were to happen, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the three-time champions’ jersey up in the rafters at Chase Center, next to Green, Curry and Thompson.
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