Looney breaks down Klay’s mistake in Warriors group text
Being an NBA star isn’t all glory, glamor and being able to dunk at will.
There are bumps and bruises to consider. Shooting slumps. Waking up and wondering if you’re in Houston or Philadelphia. Sometimes the team charter runs out of Skittles.
Or this faux paus that will draw derision from your teammates that can stay with you for weeks, if not months: A misdirected text message. More embarrassing than a live turnover. The equivalent of scoring in the opponent’s basket.
“I’ve seen people do that on our team,” Warriors forward Kevon Looney told ABC-7’s Larry Beil on Beil’s “With Authority” podcast. “I’m really careful about that. That’s one thing you don’t want to do. We have guys on the team and you send them the wrong text, they’re going to clown you for at least a week straight. I know that Draymond is never going to let you live it down.”
As one of the team’s younger players, Looney had to be hyper-vigilant. Even so, he fell into the trap. He was texting with one his friends one day, when one of Looney’s teammates texted asking Looney to do him a favor.
“I’m not going to do that for these people,” Looney texted, thinking he was communicating with his friend.
“I did send that (to his teammates),” Looney said. “They made me pay for that. But I ain’t the young guy anymore. We’ve got younger rookies. So I am looking forward to sending a group chat to go get me some donuts or something.”
“The worst offender for sending messages to the wrong party?” Looney was asked.
“Probably Klay (Thompson),” he said.
You read correctly. The guy to whom a 25-footer is essentially a free throw, dribbles on his foot when trying to send a text.
Looney remembered when Thompson was cleared to play Game 4 of the Finals in June, having sat out Game 3 with a strained hamstring.
“He was sending motivational texts like, ‘I’m coming back tonight,'” Looney said. “‘I can’t wait to get out there. I’m (defending) the best player. I’m going to lock (him) up. I’m excited.'”
His teammates texted him congratulations and encouragement.
“We were like, ‘Yeah, Klay!'” Looney said. “‘We’re excited for you too.'”
Then came the unforced error.
“He was like, ‘This is the wrong (chat). This is for my brothers.'”