Why Kevon Looney’s warm welcome from Warriors, Dub Nation is richly deserved

SAN FRANCISCO – Selected by the Warriors in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft, No. 30 overall, Kevon Looney underwent surgeries on each hip, forcing him to do more watching than playing in his first two seasons. By his fourth season, when he played 80 games, making 24 starts, he was a parable.In his seventh season, when he played all 82 games and was essential to Golden State’s 2022 NBA championship, Looney achieved cult status in Dub Nation. The appreciation came in the form of thunderous cheers – and the “Looooon” serenade – inside Chase Center, particularly when he was snagging offensive rebounds by the bushel.So, naturally, “Loon” would receive the warmest of welcomes Saturday when introduced at Chase not as a member of the Warriors, but the opposing New Orleans Pelicans, where last summer he signed a free-agent contract.“He’s been a fan favorite for a long time, so he’s going to get an amazing reception,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said shortly before tipoff.“I think there’ll be a lot of love,” Looney said 45 minutes earlier. “They always treated me really well in the streets....