Kevon Looney will never be confused for Michael Jordan, but after the Warriors' 110-96 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals at Chase Center, Golden State's center channeled the GOAT.
Looney was inserted back into the starting lineup Friday night in place of rookie Jonathan Kuminga. The Warriors hoped Looney would be able to minimize the advantage Memphis had with Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr. on the frontline.
The 6-foot-9 Looney did more than neutralize Adams. The veteran Warriors big man grabbed a staggering 22 rebounds, scored four points, dished out five assists and was a plus-10 in 35 minutes.
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Moments after the Warriors' series-clinching win, Looney was asked how he felt on the court by NBC Sports Bay Area's Grant Liffmann.
"I felt great," Looney told Liffmann. "Exhausted towards the end but I just wanted to go out there and play physical. Last game, we got bullied on the boards, so I took that personal. I wanted to go out there and do my job and set the tone from the beginning of the game. And I was able to get in a zone a little bit, rebounding and make some big plays."
Jordan famously dropped the "I took that personally" during "The Last Dance" documentary about the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls that was released during the summer of 2020.
Looney and the Warriors advanced to the Western Conference finals where they will await the winner of Sunday's Game 7 between the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks.
Surely, Jordan will be watching as Looney tries to help the Warriors get to their sixth NBA Finals in eight seasons.