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Warriors' Kevon Looney Undergoes Successful Surgery on Core Muscle Injury

Tyler Conway@jtylerconwayFeatured ColumnistMay 20, 2020

Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney (5) dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Phoenix Suns Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Matt York/Associated Press

Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season, if it resumes, after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle injury.

The Warriors announced the procedure, which took place at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia, was successful Wednesday. Looney is expected to return for the 2020-21 season.

In the first season of a three-year, $14.5 million contract, Looney was limited to just 20 games by injuries. The 6'9", 221-pound forward averaged 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game.

"I just want to get my body back right. I just want to get back to feeling like an athlete again," Looney told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. "Didn't get to play much in the summer because of the upper-body injury. Training camp, I couldn't play because of my hamstring. Then the abdominal strain.

"So I just want to get back to feeling like an athlete, get my confidence back in myself and my game and then have a good summer." 

The Warriors have been ravaged by injury throughout their lost 2019-20 season. Klay Thompson has missed the entire season while recovering from a torn ACL, and Stephen Curry was limited to five games by a hand injury.

When the Warriors do return to the floor next season, their roster will essentially be revamped on the strength of players coming back from injuries alone.