For Steve Kerr, Kevon Looney is one of the ‘foundational pieces' of the Golden State Warriors, and not just a player added to fill in the roster spots as most people think.

Kerr praised Looney's performance in their dominance over the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals. For Kerr, Looney's rebounding and ‘great feel for the game' really helped the team. Particularly in Game 4, Looney had 12 points and 14 rebounds off the bench.

“Looney has become one of our foundational pieces. He does this every single night,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, per Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. “I think one thing that we’ve seen in almost every series, is as the game goes on and players get tired, Loon gets more and more rebounds. He just has a knack for the ball. Really long arms. Great feel for the game. And so his rebounding, I think he had 14 tonight, a bunch of offensive boards [four]. Really a big key for us.”

Looney, for his part, was surprised that Kerr called him a ‘foundational piece.' After all, it's hard to find a spot in a lineup filled with stars in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green.

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“To be called a foundational piece, I never would’ve believed that,” Looney said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic, when relayed the Kerr comment. “Even when I was playing pretty good last season, I never would’ve taken it that far.”

Kerr's comments are certainly a testament to how good the Warriors are as a team and organization. They've developed Looney into a player he is today. And more importantly, they've embraced him with open arms and made him feel at home.