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NBA FINALS: WARRIORS VS. RAPTORSMay 29, 2019Kevon LooneyToronto, Ontario - Practice Day Q. So you really worked yourself into obviously a regular in the lineup. You have a true role on the team. Steve Kerr has come out publicly and expressed his desire to keep you around for a long run and have you really be a fabric of the organization. What does that mean to you and just how has that kind of process been to get to this point? KEVON LOONEY: It means a lot to me. When a guy like Steve Kerr, a guy that's won championships as a player, a coach, has been a great GM and a great analyst, gives you that co-sign, it really gives you a lot of confidence. It really shows me all the hard work I put in. Coming from my rookie year not being able to play because of injury, my second year not playing a lot and then in my third year not playing a lot early and then earning a little bit of a role late in the season, it gave me a lot of confidence. I feel like I worked hard for it to get to this point. Steve has been a big believer in me, giving me props and telling me to just keep working hard and the opportunity is going to come. I believed it when he said it, and he's been true to his word. I'm excited for The Finals. A lot of guys don't get to experience it and my first couple years I experienced it, but I wasn't able to play. I knew if I kept working hard I would be on that court one day with these guys and be able to contribute. I am on the court and I earned myself a role. It's a proud moment for me. Q. How important is Coach Kerr's communication in terms of what your role will be and just when maybe when you don't play some games or even some of the or guys on the bench how important is that communication to the whole strength-in-numbers mantra? KEVON LOONEY: It's very important. Every guy wants to play and every guy has a routine and every guy wants to know when they're going to go in the game and what's going to happen. Steve does a great job of letting guys know their role, letting guys know that if it's a game that fits them or a game that doesn't fit them. It gives you a clearer understanding of what's going to happen in the game. And when you know what's going to happen, you know what to expect, you can get yourself ready. You just respect it more when guys are straight up and honest with you. When guys sugarcoat or say, you might play, you might not, it's like, oh, man, I don't know what to expect. Steve, he always keeps it 100. He always will tell you, this might not be the series for you; this might not be the game for you. Also he will say, it's an opportunity for your game tonight. Just make sure you're ready. And usually when he tells you that, he throws you out there and gives you a chance and it's up to you to make the best of the opportunity. Steve is always great with communicating and talking to everybody from 1 to 15. He treats everybody the same. He gives everybody the same respect. Q. Feel any different being in Toronto as opposed to Cleveland for the NBA Finals? KEVON LOONEY: Definitely a lot different. I'm from the Midwest, so being in a different city is a different feel. It's fun to have something new. It's a new challenge, a new team, a new city, a new country. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm excited to see what the Toronto fans bring to the table. The Cleveland fans were rowdy and they were tough. I'm excited to see what Toronto brings. Watching on TV, watching Jurassic Park, it always seemed like they had a rowdy crowd, a lot of crazy fans. I'm excited to be able to be on the court and see the environment. Q. I know you got here yesterday, but have you been able to pick up on the vibe around the city? KEVON LOONEY: Definitely. On our way here, walking to the bus, there were probably a couple hundred people outside booing us already. I was excited to see that. I know it's going to be crazy in the game. I know Toronto loves their team. They love their players. They love basketball. I'm excited for the city and excited to see what's going to happen. I think it's going to be a fun game. Game 1, the crowd is going to be crazy. If it's anything like it was this morning, I know it's going to be crazy. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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