Warriors' Kevon Looney loves San Francisco but admits every city has 'dark side'

Looney has been playing in San Francisco for years

The city of San Francisco has come under fire over the last year over a plague of crime and open drug use that have residents and businesses looking for help and answers to combat it.

The conversation even seeped into the sports world over the last few months. 

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Kevon Looney warms up vs Hornets

Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney, #5, before the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Chase Center in San Francisco on Feb. 23, 2024. (Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports)

Former San Francisco Giants star Buster Posey said the "state of the city" was an issue as the team tried to court free agents. Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley made a crack to Reggie Miller that the city was filled with a "bunch of homeless crooks." Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green pushed back on the remark.

Green’s teammate, Kevon Looney, said the fans have been nothing but great since the team moved from the Oracle Arena in Oakland to the Chase Center in San Francisco.

"My experience has been really good," Looney told Fox News Digital. "The fans have been great. The playoff run last year was amazing. The fans always sell out. They show up and support us. They still show us a lot of love."

Looney admitted that every city has its "dark side," but he is still a fan of the sights and sounds of the city and loves it when he gets to take his parents around town.

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Kevon Looney warms up vs Knicks

Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney, #5, warms up before a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Feb. 29, 2024. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

"I love San Francisco. Every city is gonna have their dark side and things that they gotta fix," he added. "But overall, the culture, people, the food, the scenery is still something that is an attraction for that tourists come see. 

"I love my family coming into town. I’m able to take them to different parks and different things, take them to the pier. So many different things you can see out here and I love it."

Earlier this month, San Francisco was among the cities to reverse course on some of its liberal policies.

San Francisco voters passed a pair of law-and-order ballot measures, including one that would require welfare recipients suspected of using drugs to undergo screenings to receive benefits. San Francisco Mayor London Breed's spokesman, Joe Arellano, told Fox News Digital at the time that Proposition E was intended to reverse leftist policies. 

Kevon Looney shoots free throws

Kevon Looney, #5 of the Golden State Warriors, warms up before the game against the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center on Feb. 10, 2024 in San Francisco. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

"Over the last few years, the City’s policies swung too far to the left," he said. "Now, it’s time to send a message that San Francisco is closed to criminals and brazen theft will not be tolerated."

Fox News’ Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Authored by Ryan Gaydos via FoxNews March 20th 2024