Steve Kerr Issues Heartfelt Sendoff to Former Bruin

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Connor Moreno | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Three-time NBA champion and former UCLA center Kevon Looney is moving on from the Golden State Warriors after 10 seasons and signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr sent out a heartfelt message to one of the longest-tenured Warriors since the inception of the dynasty.

"Hey 'Loon,' just want to say thank you," Kerr said in a video posted across the Warriors' socials. "This is a tough one. Ten years. it's just been an amazing experience for me to coach you. Just your professionalism, your dignity, your class, the way you handled yourself, the way you mentor your young teammates. And of course, the championship contributions that you've made year after year.

"We can't thank you enough. I can't thank you enough. Thrilled for you, for your opportunity in New Orleans. But, wow, we are going to miss you. So, thank you for everything you've done for me, for our staff, for our team, for the Bay. You are the absolute best, Loon."

From: Coach Kerr
To: Kevon Looney pic.twitter.com/L4emDH3S6P
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 7, 2025

Last season, Looney averaged 4.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.6 assist in 76 games. The emergence of Trayce Jackson-Davis and, at times, Quinten Post, kind of weeded out the tenured Warrior towards the end of the season. He was mostly coming off the bench for the duration of the season anyways.

Looney's new home in New Orleans affords him the chance at becoming a starting-level center yet again. He'll be competing, of course, with the promising young Yves Missi and newly rookie Derik Queen, who the Pelicans traded an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up for and take in last week's 2025 NBA Draft.

Looney played just one season with UCLA after being a four-year varsity letter-winner at Hamilton High School in Milwaukee. He was Wisconsin's Gatorade Player of the Year and Associated Press Player of the Year in 2014 and was the 10th ranked player in the nation.

In his lone season with the Bruins, he played in all 36 games and averaged 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds per game and 1.4 assists. A skill that never materialized in Golden State, interestingly enough, was his 3-point shooting with UCLA. He shot 41.5% from deep on 53 attempts all season.

After his freshman year, he was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team and the All-Pac-12 Freshman Team. Following a dominant second half of the season, Looney was drafted to the Warriors with the 30th overall pick in 2015 and became an integral piece to the latter end of their dynasty. His new journey, though not as promising as Golden State's, gives Looney a new challenge for the second half of his career.

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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