New Orleans Pelicans bringing in Kevon Looney is supposed to take them to a new era with bigger hopes. He is a serviceable big man who has championship and playoff pedigree. The hope has to be shelved for a moment as the former Golden State Warriors center suffered a left knee sprain that will keep him out for weeks.
Looney played his entire career with the Golden State Warriors after going 30th overall in the 2015 draft. He signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Pelicans, reuniting with former teammate Jordan Poole who was also signed by New Orleans this summer.
He suffered the injury during a friendly with South East Melbourne. He will be out at least three weeks.
Pelicans announce that Kevon Looney has been diagnosed with a proximal tibiofibular ligament sprain in his left knee. The injury occurred during the Pelicans’ preseason game against the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Oct. 5. Looney will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks and further… pic.twitter.com/RRDF3utVXA
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 15, 2025
The three-time NBA champion is some sort of Ironman for the Warriors, missing just 10 games in the last four seasons. He averaged 4.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in his last season with them.
He was brought in as a veteran presence, probably to mentor a young emerging big man in Yves Missi.
New Orleans Pelicans are cursed?
Starting the season with an injured key player has been the story for the Pelicans in the last decade. They acquired one-time All-Star Dejounte Murray but he got injured before the start of the season.
Their star and franchise player Zion Williamson is the definitive example of bad luck as his career is struggling to take flight based on his projected ceiling.
Dyson Daniels had the same fate. The current Atlanta Hawks forward was drafted eighth overall by New Orleans in 2022 but the he had to sit out the start of the season after getting injured in the summer league.
The latest about Looney brought out notions that maybe the Pelicans, the youngest franchise in the league, is cursed, something that was first brought up by Daniels.
“The curse, man. I had like four or five ankle injuries down there as well,” he said.
“There’s something down in that water down there or something. They got hamstrings. They got knees. They got concussions and stuff as well. They get everything down there. I don’t know what it is. Playing hard I guess?”
Okay, maybe there actually is a curse https://t.co/Pd3Q8b3oaN
— Jake Madison (@NOLAJake) October 15, 2025
Looney has played 85% of games dating back to the start of the 21-22 season.
Now he will not play during opening night for the first time since his rookie season 💔 https://t.co/D3e5Uob2kz
— LoonMuse⚜️ (@KevonLooneyMuse) October 15, 2025
https://t.co/Eb53Gy9hVQ pic.twitter.com/qiYcGmAYpv
— IngramAlerts (@IngramAlerts) October 15, 2025
Kevon Looney has played 361 of his last 375 games, joins the Pels and gets injured.
What is wrong with New Orleans lol https://t.co/g08NTMIteQ
— Wes (@6ManYT) October 16, 2025
He was an ironman in GSW. This franchise hilarious😂 https://t.co/8JwXJY3qzG
— PC (@pelicanscol) October 15, 2025
As someone who fell for this three years in a row, I understand the power of wanting the Pelicans to be as good as they are on paper
Unfortunately there will be 7000 injuries because it’s the most (or second most) cursed franchise in sports
— The Foo Diplomat (@NBABabySecret) October 15, 2025
pelicans cursed, he hardly ever got injured with us
— mrunknownn_ ✭ (@Mr_Smoove45) October 15, 2025
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