November 3rd - Pelicans player Kevon Looney recently gave an interview to EssentiallySports.
In the interview, Looney discussed his upcoming game against the Warriors this month.
"I'm actually quite interested in the idea of you trash-talking Draymond Green and even getting into a fight. What else are you looking forward to?"
Looney: "Yeah, that would be really cool. I'm expecting a great game, and there's bound to be a lot of trash talk. But it'll all be in goodwill and friendly. They're one of the most competitive players I've ever seen, and I know they don't want to lose to me, so hopefully this game will be meaningful. I'm excited. They're still my mentors. I still talk to them when I need help or want to talk to someone. If I'm injured and need someone to talk to, or need a doctor or something, I still contact them and rely on them a lot. So going back there and playing against them will be really fun."
"You mentioned that you often trash-talk Curry and Green in practice. Which trash-talking story with them is your favorite?" Looney: I don't know which one is the most memorable, but there's one that definitely stands out. It was my second year in the league, and I was playing against Draymond Green. It was early in training camp, and I was recovering from an injury, still getting back into shape and trying to find my rhythm. He decided to guard me and put pressure on me. I was organizing the offense, and he yelled at me, saying I couldn't score. I just remember him yelling "Ah!" I've always remembered that because I've always tried to keep up with his pace. At first, I was full of energy and didn't want to talk or do much. I hadn't really found my rhythm yet. But that incident has stayed with me, making me realize that yes, I need to get stronger. I have to make sure I can keep up with his pace and intensity every time I'm on the court.
Did you ever argue with him?
Looney: Not that day. But sometimes, in practice, I'm probably the loudest person on the team. If he and Stephen are both on the team, I'll talk to Stephen, call out plays, and tell him I'm playing good defense. One time, I was guarding Stephen exceptionally well. I was talking to him the whole time. I'm proud to be able to switch onto a guard. That time I guarded him really well. I probably only faked him out once. Then he dribbled between his legs, behind his back, and then stepped back and hit a jumper right in front of me. I thought, "That's it."
That was Stephen.
Looney: Yeah, that was Stephen. You know, he did that signature twist and then hit a three-pointer, and then he hit the game-winning shot. It's things like that that we always talk about.
