The Warriors demolished Sacramento in Game 7 of the first round yesterday. Though it’s always a team effort, two players stood out of the pack – Stephen Curry and Kevon Looney. A lot will be written about Curry, but Kevon Looney being the 29th highest-paid center while giving that kind of production is a whole other story.
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It was only fitting that the best series of the first round of the playoffs, in terms of competition, intensity, and offensive prowess, went to seven games. The Kings played impeccable basketball and had the defending champions walking a tightrope through the two weeks of action-packed performance.
It took a special performance from the greatest shooter of all time to will his team to victory. However, he couldn’t have done it without the help of Kevon Looney. Not the most talented center in the league, he played his part to perfection, averaging 15.1 RPG in the series while containing his nemesis to 11 RPG. It’s a travesty that he is worth less than 39 centers in the league in terms of salary.
Kevon Looney is highly underpaid compared to his peers
Kevon Looney signed a three-year, $25.5M contract during the 2022 offseason with the Golden State Warriors. The team had multiple extensions to cater to, but the easiest of the lot was Kevon Looney.
After his performance in the 2022 playoffs which led to a championship, Bob Myers considered it a no-brainer. What a steal it has turned out to be!
Ironically, a team that proud itself on playing small ball has needed its center to play all 82 games of the season. Looney has become a trusted and durable member of the squad and hasn’t missed a game in two years. The 2022-23 season was arguably his best, as he led the league in offensive rebounds. All this while getting paid $7,500,000 a year is beyond comprehensible.
Steph Curry and Kevon Looney’s Game Seven heroics
The Sunday afternoon Game Seven at the Golden1 Center saw multiple records broken en route to a historic win for the Warriors. Stephen Curry reminded the NBA world of his greatness, scoring 50 points to achieve the highest score in Game Seven. He was sensational, and the young Kings team did not have an answer to his mastery.
Kevon became the first player since Dwight Howard in 2008, to have 3+ twenty rebounds game in a single playoff series. He had one job to do on the floor and he executed it to perfection. With his stats reading 11 points, 21 rebounds, and 4 assists, Looney gave the Warriors multiple second-chance opportunities in the third quarter, resulting in the Warriors taking control of the game.
At 27 years of age, Looney has cemented a place in the Dubs’ dynasty and is often the voice of maturity and wisdom for the team. He may not make the highlight reel or have flashy plays to charm the crowd, but he is every bit as important as his teammates. It’s time he gets the appreciation he deserves for showing up to work every day despite being highly underpaid.
