Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney is one of the most dynamic rebounders in the NBA, and he’s finally being rewarded for his dirty work on the floor. To honor him, he was awarded the first-ever Windex Trophy, which was an all-glass bottle of Windex affixed to a glass backboard. Looney, who has a career 2,510 rebounds, is inspiring other young rebounders to continue being relentless using their effort and energy to do one of the most underrated things in the game of basketball.
Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney is one of the most dynamic rebounders in the NBA, and he’s finally being rewarded for his dirty work on the floor. To honor him, he was awarded the first-ever Windex Trophy, an all-glass bottle of Windex affixed to a glass backboard. Looney, who has a career 2,510 rebounds, is inspiring other young rebounders to continue being relentless, using their effort and energy to do one of the most underrated things in the game of basketball.
Looney spoke with rolling out about winning the award and shared the art of the rebound.
How does it feel to win the Windex “Glass Cleaner” trophy?
It’s a huge honor to be the first one to win it. I saw the fan vote going around during the summertime on Instagram, and I thought it would be dope if I could win, but I told myself I probably wouldn’t. Lord willing, I actually did win, and it was a dope experience to be honored by Windex and recognized by the fans for all of my hard work. You don’t think people notice the boxing out, rebounding, and all the dirty work that I do, but the fans voted for me, and that’s just a huge honor to say I’m the first person [winning]. It’s dope. I got to share that moment with my dad and my parents, somebody that’s been on me about rebounding my whole life, and to say I’m the best at something and all the lessons that she was teaching me, it’s a great feeling.
What is the art of the rebound?
There’s a lot that goes into it. You can always make it simple and say, “Just grab the ball more than the other team.” I know Steven Adams says that sometimes, but there is a science to it. It’s about body positioning, effort, energy, and being relentless. It’s also about just knowing where the ball is going to be and being patient. All those different things go into rebounding, and [all] of them are just as equally important. You don’t have to be the strongest, and you don’t have to jump the highest, but you have to have that will, and you have to be relentless. You have to know how to use your body. You look at a guy like Russell Westbrook, who averaged 10 rebounds multiple times throughout his career. He’s 6’3″ or 6’4″, but his motor and his will make him a special rebounder. I’m completely different than him. I use my length, I use my body positioning, and I use things such as studying Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to [know] where I know the shots are going to go. I use that to my advantage, so everybody uses something different to make them elite, and you have to figure out what makes you special, but it’s always going to come back to will, being relentless, and knowing how to use your body.
