Why Golden State's ultimate X factor is center Kevon Looney - ESPN

STEVE KERR SAT in his Vancouver hotel room pining over one of his players during the Golden State Warriors' preseason trip to Canada in 2016.

He called assistant Chris DeMarco to his room, and the two sat and discussed their then-second-year center, Kevon Looney.

«I don't know if he's going to make it in the league,» Kerr told ESPN as he recalled the conversation.

Repeating that sentence out loud hurt Kerr. He had been a longtime advocate for Looney since he was drafted No. 30 overall out of UCLA by the Warriors in 2015.

The team declined to exercise Looney's fourth-year option before the 2017-18 season, which made him an unrestricted free agent the following summer.

Given Looney's injury history — he played just five games his rookie season and 53 his sophomore season — and the fact that he couldn't play more than 20 minutes a game and was limited in practices because of hip surgery, Kerr had to ponder moving on from the big man.

That conversation, those thoughts, now seem like ages ago for Kerr. And somewhat unbelievable given how crucial Looney has been for the Warriors — especially this season.

Now healthy, Looney is a two-time iron man, having played in all 82 games in consecutive seasons. He's the third player in franchise history to grab at least 20 rebounds in multiple games in the same playoff series. He has found a voice for himself to become a leader off the court, as well. He is Golden State's ultimate X factor.

«I think Loon [Looney] is one of the best centers in the league,» Kerr said after Game 7 of the Warriors' first-round series against the Sacramento Kings. «I really do. People don't recognize because he's not dunking and shooting 3s and all that stuff. But this guy is a flat-out winner and he's a