Three-time NBA champion Kevon Looney is “super excited” to join forces with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers.
During his appearance on ESPN LA’s “Mason & Ireland,” Looney opened up on his decision to sign with the Lakers over the New York Knicks and other suitors. The veteran revealed he knew what he wanted to do as a free agent after the Lakers traded Deandre Ayton, as the franchise needed a backup center to play behind Walker Kessler.
“Being a free agent this year, I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Looney admitted. “There were a lot of moving parts this offseason with a lot of teams. Once the Lakers made a few moves and they had a need for a center, this was my top destination, and I was able to make it happen.
“I am super excited,” added Looney, who signed a one-year, $3.88M deal.
Why Kevon Looney Chose Lakers
Looney, who has backed up the likes of DeMarcus Cousins, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis, knows he thrives as the energy and rebounding guy off the bench.
He also knows he can help a young Lakers squad, where the 30-year-old will be the OG and the oldest player. Every other member of the Lakers core is 28 or below.
Looney broke down what he brings to the table.
“Filling that backup center role, and being a veteran for this team,” he stressed.
“Bringing championship experience to this team, and also the toughness that I always play with. That’s what my role is going to be, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Excited to Play With Luka Doncic
In an earlier interview with Mark Medina, Looney said he was particularly excited about playing with Luka Doncic due to the Slovenian’s playmaking mastery.
“Luka is a pick-and-roll master,” Looney said. “He’s probably the best in the league at it with finding angles and manipulating the defense. I want to pick his mind and learn from him and how he wants his screens set.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin also reported the importance of the Doncic factor in Looney choosing the Lakers. The insider noted that Looney foresees easy scoring opportunities the same way he thrived playing next to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson for years.
“I spoke to someone close to him today who said that he saw it as a clear opportunity,” McMenamin said after Looney signed with the Lakers.
“He saw a parallel between some of the half-court sets that they’re [Lakers] going to run. The way he can free up Luka and AR the same way he freed up Klay and Steph with screens. Multi-time champion.”
Besides Looney, the Lakers onboarded eight new players this season, including Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and rookie Cameron Carr.
The new-look Lakers have been a hot topic of discussion, with some projecting JJ Redick’s team to be potentially worse than last season after losing LeBron James. However, Grimes has said the Lakers will “surprise some people” once they begin clicking on all cylinders.
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