Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney on Tuesday showed off his quick reflexes to save a vulnerable reporter.
Looney was in the middle of a pregame interview before the Warriors’ matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., when an errant ball came hurtling toward his interviewer, NBC Sports reporter Kerith Burke.
The Warriors center was fittingly talking about playing “good defense” when it happened. He was able to practice what he preached by defending Burke from getting hit by the ball.
Kevon Looney just saved the reporters life 😭
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) March 19, 2025
(Via @MrBuckBuckNBA) pic.twitter.com/tuE36OTxM8
The 29-year-old big man did not skip a beat after making the heroic stop. He immediately went back to answering the question as a dazed Burke smiled in amazement.
What a play from Kevon Looney to save @KerithBurke 😅 pic.twitter.com/895z2rOMQk
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 19, 2025
The moment was reminiscent of the viral video that shows Tampa Bay Rays legend Evan Longoria saving a reporter from an oncoming line drive.
Never forget when Evan Longoria saved this reporter 😅 pic.twitter.com/ZvBUDvUmG7
— NO CONTEXT HUMANS (@HumansNoContext) September 27, 2024
The big difference between the two clips is that Longoria’s was a staged moment for a Gillette ad campaign. Looney’s was the real deal.
Looney, who has somehow yet to reach the age of 30, has been one of the Warriors’ most reliable role players over the last decade.
Despite Looney never averaging over 7.0 points per game for Golden State, one of his Warriors teammates has campaigned for Kevon’s jersey to be retired down the line. His heroic showing on Tuesday may have bolstered his chances.
