Photo: Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Golden State Warriors power forward Kevon Looney makes three phone calls after every game he plays with the team.
“I call my dad first, then my mom will call me 30 seconds later and we’ll have the same conversation,” Looney, 27, tells PEOPLE. The third call he makes is to a former coach, who helps Looney identify what he “could have done better” and how he’ll need to improve for the next game.
The NBA champion says his parents, Victoria and Doug Looney, watch every game and always “have notes” for their son.
“They usually tell me what they saw on the court or what people have been saying on the radio, stuff like that,” he explains. “It’s always win, lose, or draw, too, even sometimes when I don’t feel like talking.”
Looney continues, “I know it’s a good conversation, even if I didn’t play well. It’s just always good to hear from your parents.”
Kevon Looney/Instagram
Victoria and Doug don’t have social media, according to their son. Still, Looney and his parents became the subjects of hateful social media posts after he was involved in a play that injured Lakers star Anthony Davis on Wednesday.
Fortunately, Looney says his parents are “probably oblivious to” what internet trolls say on social media. The only way they’d even see social media vitriol would be “if someone texted them about it,” says Looney, “but no, they don’t see it, and I don’t pay attention to it.”
Looney and the Warriors will attempt to extend their playoff series to a Game 7 on Friday with a win against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles.
The team’s spirits are high ahead of the elimination game, Looney tells PEOPLE. “We’re all locked in,” he says of Golden State’s star-studded roster that includes Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
“Everybody’s excited to try to complete the mission of coming back from 3-1,” says Looney, whose pre-game routine now includes going live onTIDAL.
To get his spirits up, especially before a crucial postseason game, Looney relies on music, much like the rest of the Warriors squad. “Music is how I get into the zone, how I get ready to go to battle and get physical,” he says.
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Making playlists has always been a part of Looney’s pre-game routine, as well as a way for him to connect with teammates and coaches, which made his partnership with TIDAL a perfect match.
Looney takes pride in his ability to curate the perfect playlist to set the tone for his team on game-days. “I always feel like I’m number one at that,” he says.
“That’s something I’ve always done my whole career, making playlists before the game. It’s something that I talk about with my teammates and my training staff, like who has the best taste and who has the best playlist.”
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If Looney isn’t the first Warrior to the aux cord during practice, he says it’s likely Jordan Poole. “I don’t think people would like his playlist that much though,” Looney jokes.
Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty
And if the Warriors are listening to “a lot of afro beats or island type music,” it’s likely youngster Jonathon Kuminga who’s responsible, says Looney.
Game 6 between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers tips off at 7 p.m. PT on Friday.
source: people.com
