GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 2, 2023

Kevon Looney

Media Conference

Q. What's the challenge for you guys this year? The goal is to do better than you did last year. What's your thoughts on having a couple teammates like Chris Paul and Rudy to reach that goal?

KEVON LOONEY: Excited to play with those guys. The new guys are veterans in this league. They have a lot of success. Wherever they go they have a lot of success. Excited to play with them and going forward, you've got to figure out our style of play and continue to build our chemistry and keep our health right going down the stretch, I think we've got enough talent to go really far. We're just got to make sure we're healthy at the end.

Q. Everyone is talking about "connectivity" and being connected more. We all know last year was maybe not the greatest season for that. Have you felt that already? Is it still a work-in-progress or do you think this team is much better connected now than it was, say, eight months ago?

KEVON LOONEY: Eight months ago -- hey, it was -- I feel like we're building to the right direction. I feel like we are connected. Off the court, everything seems to be flowing fine.

It's going to take time on the court, like always, find the right rotations and get that right chemistry on the court. I feel like we're going the right direction and I feel like we've the right talent and personalities that's going to mix well. Then we have the right balance of older and young. I think it's going to be a fun year, and I think the chemistry is off to a great start.

Q. Draymond obviously has a reputation for being intense and a guy who rubs people the wrong way and opponents the wrong way, and Chris has that same kind of reputation. What do you think having two guys like that on this team can do for what this team needs to do to put together a good season?

KEVON LOONEY: I think it's going to be great for our team to have that edge that we need to compete on the court. Having both of those guys, they going to challenge us. Both are going to hold everybody accountable and I think that's what we need to get back to where we want to go.

So having those personalities, that's going to show on our team and when we play, and I think it's going to be good for us.

Q. What does having Chris Paul add to this team?

KEVON LOONEY: Having Chris adds a lot. Adds another leader to this team and somebody with a high IQ and just a huge basketball know-how. He's somebody that can change the pace of our team. He can play fast, he can slow it down and execute on the halfcourt. I think he's going to keep us under control a little bit more.

Sometimes last year, we got a little bit too chaotic. I think having Chris out there is going to help balance us out.

Q. Secondly, the big question surrounding Chris is where does he fit; is he going to start; is he going to come off the bench. You seem to be merged into that conversation. How would you feel if you were to come off the bench? Do you care? Does it matter?

KEVON LOONEY: I really don't. I done played every role from starter to the bench to not dressing to whatever. I feel like I worked hard enough to be a starter in this league, but we got five other guys that been in All-Star games.

Just got to go with the flow and see what happens. I know Steve is going to put the left lineup and combination out there that it's going to take to win a game. So I'm going into camp with no -- just whatever happens, happens and I'm just going to be ready to play and play my role.

Q. What's it like working with Trayce so far, and how has he impressed you early on?

KEVON LOONEY: It's been fun working out with him and playing with him. He's been really good. He has a great feel for the game. He's real active on the glass. He's real bouncy. It's been fun matching up with him and getting to play against him and hopefully show him some things that I can learn from him as well. I think he has a bright future and he fits our style of play really well.

Q. The way that Dario can space the floor, is he another big man that you can see yourself maybe sharing the floor with as well?

KEVON LOONEY: For sure. He's somebody that I can play with. He's somebody that he can space the floor, and he also can make plays off the dribble. He can do a lot of different things for us. I think he's going to be a huge piece for use. He's the type of player that usually always thrives well in this type of season.

Q. How optimistic are you of seeing kind of Jonathan's continued growth and maybe doing what he can do on a more consistent basis as he against opportunities and maybe leaning on you and Rudy and to keep learning and building?

KEVON LOONEY: I'm excited for JK this year. I see how hard he's been working this summer. I've seen the growth already and our few pickup games we played, he's somebody that's asked a lot of questions. He wants to learn. He wants to be really good. I'm excited for him.

I think he's going to help us a lot. He provides some athleticism, and his speed and defensive help that we need, and I think this is the year for him to take that next step. I think he's capable and I think he's ready.

Q. How about working with Rudy, for both of you guys?

KEVON LOONEY: That's pretty cool. Rudy has a wealth of knowledge, his 17th or 18th year. He's been a guy that's been a big scorer in this league. He done played the three, the four. He done played for a lot of great coaches. I think he can teach me a lot of things. He can teach JK a lot of things about scoring, post-ups. Different things, tricks you can't get unless you've actually played. I think he has a wealth of knowledge in that and I think it's going to be great for us.

Q. Klay was talking about how much it meant to him to go back to China this past summer. I know you were there with him. What was it like seeing fans responding to him? Did it feel like the old days a little bit?

KEVON LOONEY: Definitely. It was insane, the fan love we got out there. You kind of forget how big the NBA is and how big basketball is when you just kind of sit here at home. We haven't been there in a long time, and for me, my first time going with him. And so to see the love that we got; the experience was great. We was being chasing after like we was Michael Jackson or something like that, a rock star. It was pretty cool to be a part of that experience that.

Q. You also went to Milwaukee, and I looked all over the Internet. How did your first pitch go? I never saw the actual video.

KEVON LOONEY: I won't say it was really good but it was good. I was actually really nervous. I got video. I got video. I was a little nervous. Didn't want to embarrass my dad. He's been playing baseball with me for a long time. But I haven't threw a pitch in probably ten, fifteen years. I wanted to practice before I got it there..

Q. When you say "really good," I haven't seen it. Where did it go?

KEVON LOONEY: It went a little right. It was a ball. I got the video. I'll show you.

Q. 90 miles per hour?

KEVON LOONEY: It was about 46.

Q. We know you played 82. Is that your goal? Do you expect to play 82?

KEVON LOONEY: Definitely. That's always my goal to be there every night. Something I feel like I'm capable of doing. I feel good coming into the season. I feel like I played better when I played every game so I feel like I'm going to keep the tradition going and play every game.

Q. Also last year, you revealed you had that internship. Did you do another internship this summer? What's the status of your internship over the summer?

KEVON LOONEY: I didn't do an internship this summer. I did a few things with music. They called -- we have like just to build a relationship. So whenever they call me, they need something, or if I need them, you know, we just lean on each other. I'm kind of saving my favorites for down the road when I really need them.

But it was a great experience last summer. This summer, I was busy, went to China with Klay so I was doing that type of stuff so hopefully next year I can do even more stuff.

Q. You've been watching Steph for a pretty long time, and we heard the stories about his workouts and his physical conditioning stuff. But you also put in a lot of work to do that. Talk a little about your summer and maybe how much watching him has driven you to do what you do in order to be the best you?

KEVON LOONEY: Definitely watching Steph put in work, it makes you have to question: Am I doing enough? Everybody when they come in thinks they are working hard until they see what hard work really looks like; and I had the pleasure and honor to watch Steph, Klay, Andre, some other guys really put in work, and I kind of learned how to work hard.

I can't do what he does. I had to tailor my workout for me. We got different bodies and different situations but made me want to lock in and challenge myself to do more and I feel like every summer I get better, I get stronger. I've got my routine that I go through and it works for me.