Warriors fans, team show appreciation for Looney

The “MVP” chants at Chase Center started Friday night when Stephen Curry was at the free-throw line, as usual. What was not usual was that they continued when the next Golden State Warrior who was fouled stepped to the line. Kevon Looney.

The chant was funny. To Looney, it was “nerve-racking.”

Looney said he hadn’t shot a free throw in about three weeks and had to focus.

“It was a cool moment for me. I made it, so that was even better.”

The chant was also deserved, at least for a night. Looney helped the Warriors battle back from a 19-point deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks 126-117 and take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. Looney had 11 points in the pivotal third quarter, when the Warriors flipped the game’s script, and he finished with a careerhigh 21 points and also had 12 rebounds, for his second ever playoff double-double.

The crowd loved it, not only showering the Warriors big man with “MVP” chants but continuous serenades of “Loooooon.” Looney is a crowd favorite. Unassuming, steady, reliable and tough (and homegrown).

But maybe no one loved the moment more than Warriors guard Jordan Poole.

“The little kid in me is so excited,” Poole said. “Because I grew up watching Loon, played against him, and to see him do this on the highest stage, it’s just amazing to be a part of.

“I’m so happy for him. I’m so proud to be a part of it. Shoutout to big bro Loon.”

Growing up in Milwaukee, Wis., Poole was a high school freshman when Looney was a senior crosstown. Poole idolized the city star, who was the top recruit in the nation. Looney went off to UCLA for one year and Poole eventually went to Michigan for two years.

Who could ever dream that they’d both be in San Francisco, teammates in the Western Conference finals? Together they scored 44 points on Friday.

The NBA is full of improbable story lines, like the one we saw when — on a team full of stars — Looney was the player tagged by TNT for its postgame interview. Or like when Looney found out his name stood next to Robert Parish’s in the history books: Looney became the first Warriors center to have at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game in 45 years. Since Parish did it 1977.

“That’s a cool stat to have,” Looney said. “I’m going to remember that so I can tell somebody else about it.”

Curry didn’t mind sharing the MVP chants with Looney.

“That’s amazing fan interaction,” Curry said. “That’s how it’s supposed to be. You get your home crowd appreciating you … and making him nervous at the free-throw line. It’s special.”

In the transition to this new Warriors era, Looney is often overlooked when the “championship DNA” is mentioned. But his team knows how important he is and appreciate his continued development.

“It’s been massive,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Our team has changed quite a bit. We lost a lot of talent, a lot of veterans. So, we needed Loon’s leadership. His size and strength inside, his knowledge, his wisdom … Loon was a big part of a couple of those championships.

“I don’t know where we’d be without him.”

Looney said he doesn’t feel overlooked or left out by the Big Three of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

“Those guys make me feel involved,” he said. “The Bay Area always shows me a lot of love. I feel honored just to be part of the ride.”

But he has been much more than part of the ride. Kerr calls him “everybody’s favorite guy.”

Curry said, “He brings a lot of joy to what we do in the locker room. I call him the muse. He’s got a great demeanor and he’s the bridge between the vets and the young guys.”

Looney has grown as a player. He has learned to become a center, courtesy of former Warriors big men Andrew Bogut and Zaza Pachulia and new assistant DeJan Milojevic. He has learned angles and defense.

But Looney’s ability to contribute has been in doubt in the past. As a rookie, he dealt with hip injuries. In recent years, he dealt with nerve damage and stomach problems. But he changed his diet and his work habits, and this season he played all 82 games. When his role diminished in the early rounds of the playoffs, he didn’t complain and stayed ready. And in Game 6 against Memphis and in 32 minutes Friday against Dallas, he was a difference maker.

“It’s something I’ve been preparing my body for all year,” he said. “As my minutes change series to series, game to game, I’m just staying mentally ready. That’s something I’ve been doing my whole career.

“It’s pretty easy for me to play those minutes now. A few years ago, it might not have been, but now my body is ready for this.”

He has worked on his body. His no-drama mind-set, never complaining about his role and staying ready, is part of his DNA. He says it comes from his father, Kevin.

“Growing up, watching him work seven days a week and never complain about nothing,” Looney said. “Just go to work, clock in, clock out, come home and still have time for me and the family was how I learned to be a professional.”

Curry said, “He’s just adapted to things that have been thrown at him. This year, him being available was the biggest thing he wanted to accomplish. And we’ve seen the work he’s put in to make that a reality.”

“He’s got the composure, he’s got experience and the knowhow.”

On Friday, Looney also had a career-high 21 points. And the MVP chants.

“I played against him when I was young, and he had 40,” Poole said. “So, I’d rather be on his team.”

And he is. What a story.