The 2021-22 Golden State Warriors season has been an emotional roller coaster for the organization and its fans.
Fans and spectators have seen it all, from the highs of seeing the big three of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green together on the court for the first time in over 1,000 days to the stretch of disappointing defeats to teams fighting for ping pong balls in Orlando and Washington.
Warriors fans have been through a season filled with inconsistencies, with players and coaches being shuffled in and out of the lineup due to injury and NBA health and safety protocols. But with a season filled with inconsistencies, one man stands alone to give Dubs fans that consistency they crave: Kevon "Iron Man" Looney.
Looney may not be able to jump out of the gym, launch 3s from the hashmark, and dazzle fans with uber athletic highlight dunks, but true basketball savants know his impact is significant to the Dubs Dynasty.
In the era of load management in the NBA and scheduled rest days off, a select few stand above the rest as Iron Men of the NBA. Those considered Iron Men are players who play all 82 games of the regular season. Looney is only one of five NBA players this year to achieve Iron Man status in the NBA.
Kevon has been a player whose many injuries have hindered him early in his career before this season. As a result, many critics, fans, and spectators have had questions and concerns regarding Kevon's health and ability to stay on the floor before the 21-22 season.
Looney said it was one of his personal goals to play in every game at the beginning of the season.
"I wanted to be able to play all 82 games this season."
The 26-year-old power forward from the UCLA could finally silence his critics and accomplish this season's personal goal. Looney was healthy enough to compete in all 82 regular season contests. And by doing so, he became one of the pillars the Warriors, and their fans could lean on this year.
Looney mentioned that finally playing an entire regular season was good for his state of mind and morale.
"It was very good for my morale and my confidence."
Looney is the epitome of what you see is what you will get. And what you will see on the court is an intelligent and durable player who has a keen knack for rebounding the basketball.
Looney does not stand out in a league filled with trees on the court, but that doesn't bother him. His strength, toughness, durability, and sneaky quickness allowed him to be one of the elite players on the glass in the association.
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To the critics looking to diminish Looney's impact and significance to the Warriors, look no further than Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Great players save their best performances for the playoffs when it counts the most.
In a critical close-out game situation for the Golden State Warriors, leading the series against the Grizzlies three games to one, Looney was indeed a difference maker at Chase Center.
In 35 minutes of action, he tallied four points, five assists, and a whopping 22 rebounds against the Grizzlies. Looney was grabbing offensive and defensive rebounds left and right like Stretch Armstrong. His Game 6 glass cleaning performance was genuinely historic.
Looney joined Shaquille O'Neal as the only players in NBA playoff history to record at least 11 rebounds with five offensive rebounds in the first quarter.
The craziest aspect of the statistic is that Kevon did it in two fewer minutes than Shaq. He also did it while playing against the team that led the association in rebounding and rebounding percentage during the regular season.
The NBA has a rich history of dominating big men who were a force on the glass – Wilt, Russell, Kareem, Rodman, Barkley and Olajuwon, to name a few. Looney etched his name on the boards with icons.
If you don't believe me, see what Klay had to say about Kevon after his iconic game six performance.
"Kevon should go by Kevon Olajuwon,” Thompson said. "He was just a freak out there. Guy's got elastic arms. He can stretch."
Kevon was battling every possession against more physically dominating players like Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr. all night in Game 6 and in the series.
Looney played 35 minutes, 17 minutes straight in the fourth quarter, and set a new career high with his 22 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards.
With dominating performances on the glass like in Game 6 against the Grizzlies, there is no doubt that "Iron Man" Looney will significantly impact whether the 21-22 Golden State Warriors will be able to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June.
When people look back at the Golden State Warriors dynasty, many think of Steph, Klay, Draymond, Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala.
People refer to the Death Lineup or the Hamptons 5 lineup when referring to how the Warriors found their championship DNA during their dynasty run.
Please make no mistake. The success of the Golden State Warriors, and the big three, wouldn't be possible without guys like Looney.
Fans and opposing players look at Looney at first glance and think they can take advantage of his lack of athleticism and verticality. But beware, once he steps onto the court, from tip-off to the final whistle sounds, Kevon "Iron Man" Looney is a stone-cold killer who is ruthless on the glass.
Looney is a perfect fit for how the Golden State Warriors play basketball on both ends of the court.
Being able to defend all frontcourt positions, freeing up Curry, Thompson, and Jordan Poole for wide open looks from anywhere on the court with devastating screens, being a menace on the glass, there's a reason Looney has been an integral part of the Dubs Dynasty.
Looney's ability to keep plays alive on the offensive and defensive boards, his high basketball IQ, long wingspan, and his durability on the court make him the unsung hero of the Golden State Warriors.
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