New Los Angeles Lakers center Kevon Looney said he grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant, underscoring the late Hall of Famer’s influence on his career.
Looney, 30, joined the Lakers on a one-year veteran-minimum contract after spending last season with the New Orleans Pelicans. Los Angeles also acquired Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade as part of an offseason effort to revamp its frontcourt.
“I was a big Kobe guy. That’s my favorite player,” Looney told Mark Medina of Fadeaway World when asked about his childhood heroes.
The three-time Golden State Warriors champion pointed to the Lakers’ 2010 NBA Finals win over the Boston Celtics as his most memorable Bryant moment, highlighting how Los Angeles avenged its 2008 Finals loss. “To come back and beat them was amazing,” he said.
Looney also recalled playing against the Lakers on Dec. 18, 2017, when Bryant’s Nos. 24 and 8 were retired at what was then Staples Center. “That was only my third year in the league. To be on the court while Kobe’s numbers went up was surreal,” he noted.
The UCLA product believes wearing the Lakers’ purple and gold carries “tremendous weight” because of Bryant’s legacy and the franchise’s championship history. He added that joining a roster now led by Luka Dončić in the post-LeBron James era fits his goal of returning to a title chase.
After a limited role in New Orleans, Looney said he is eager to rebuild his value in Los Angeles and looks forward to forming a tandem with Kessler, whom he called an emerging two-way threat.
Source: LakersNation.com
