Former UCLA forward Kevon Looney picked 30th overall in 2015 NBA Draft
Former UCLA men’s basketball forward Kevon Looney was selected 30th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2015 NBA Draft. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Matt Joye
June 25, 2015 9:57 p.m.
This article was updated as of July 2, 12:29 p.m.
Back on April 6, freshman forward Kevon Looney decided to forego his final three years of collegiate eligibility and turn pro.
The decision looked to be the correct one at the time for Looney, who was ranked the No. 7 overall player on ESPN’s Chad Ford’s Big Board.
Nearly three months later, the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft arrived, with Looney sitting in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., waiting for his name to be called.
It took nearly four hours – until the final pick of the first round. Looney was drafted by the Golden State Warriors, the defending champions, with the 30th overall selection.
“It was just nerve‑racking; I got a little stiff and sore; I was sitting there a long time,” Looney said in a press conference after his selection.
In the end, the wait may have been worth it for Looney, who followed the Warriors all year long on their championship run.
“It’s a blessing to be drafted by the champs. I watched them all season. I watched them in the Finals,” Looney said. “I can’t wait to get out there and play.”
Looney’s later-than-expected selection came in the aftermath of a rumor regarding a hip injury. Some reports allegedly said Looney underwent surgery on his hip before the start of UCLA’s season last year. Coach Steve Alford said Looney didn’t miss a single game or practice once the season started.
Todd Ramasar, Looney’s agent, denied reports that Looney had a surgery, saying Looney suffered a hip injury last offseason but recovered from it to play.
“He sat out about two to three weeks in late summer, early fall, and once he came back he really just never had any issues,” Alford said in a teleconference after the draft. “He’s a very durable individual, it’s just sometimes when (a rumor) kind of hits, it grows like a wildfire and it’s hard to stop it.”
In addition, ESPN.com’s draft analysis of Looney said that the 6-foot-9 power forward “was fatigued at the end” of one of his pre-draft workouts, and that some NBA teams “question his conditioning.”
Despite all those rumors, the Warriors didn’t hesitate to call Looney’s number at No. 30. They made their selection with over a minute left on their five-minute selection meter.
The quick decision may have been spurred by the fact that Looney fits some of Golden State’s roster needs.
The Warriors were the league’s top offensive team by far, but were mediocre in team rebounding and interior defense, ranking 12th in rebound differential and 13th in points allowed in the paint.
Looney addresses both of those concerns, finishing second in the Pac-12 in rebounding and 18th in the NCAA with 15 double-doubles. He also has a 7-foot-3-inch wingspan, which is the longest of any forward currently on Golden State’s roster.
“(Looney) can make an open 3-point shot, but his value really is as a rim protector, rebounder (and) interior defender,” said ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas.
As Looney joins the defending NBA champions, he may have to wait once again for his number to be called. But he may not have to wait long to reach the pinnacle of NBA basketball: the NBA Finals.
