Jonathan Kuminga will start on the bench for the Golden State Warriors against New Orleans tonight.
A few days prior to the expiration of Jonathan Kuminga’s rookie contract extension deadline, the Warriors forward, 22, spoke on NBC Sports Bay Area’s special edition of “Dubs Talk.”
Kuminga insisted that he was placing all of his faith in Aaron Turner, his agent, to decide whether a deal could be reached or if he would be a restricted free agency come next offseason. In contrast to one of the larger agencies where a player’s priorities can be set aside, Kuminga feels more at ease with Turner as President of the Verus Management Team, a smaller organization. Kuminga has known Turner for five or six years and views him as family, despite the fact that he is just in his fourth NBA season.
A good or awful game Kuminga claims that despite the highs and lows of each NBA season, Turner has always seen Kuminga’s larger picture. Hardly do the two discuss basketball. According to Kuminga, his perception of his contract status was a broad reflection of his outlook on his basketball career as a whole and the years that followed.
There isn’t just one significant contract. It tells the story of a young man who represents the Democratic Republic of the Congo and emulates the Warriors greats and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo.
“I’m trying to leave a larger legacy with me,” Kuminga stated. “I’m attempting to emulate [Dikembe] Mutombo.” being really global and one of the African children who will do much more. and attempting to continue the tradition that Mutombo and several African-born men left behind.
Professional sportsmen, particularly those with unrealized potential and star aspirations like a previous top draft selection who won a championship as a rookie, may find it difficult to quiet the clamor. With a 16.1 point average, longer streaks of consistency, and more instances of what Warriors owner Joe Lacob and others had in mind when they selected him with their first of two first-round picks in the 2021 draft, Kuminga made a significant leap in his third season. Prior to the deadline, Kuminga was aware that Turner and the Warriors were discussing contract figures and what they believed to be the most reasonable course of action. In an offseason that served as a real-time business lesson as Klay Thompson’s tenure with the Warriors drew to a close, he also made every effort to keep his thoughts off financial figures and concentrate only on basketball.
“I’ve come to the realization that everything is about business,” Kuminga stated. “The more you consider what’s happening, the more you’ll become irate and lose sight of basketball in favor of something bigger.”
In Kuminga’s childhood house, Kobe Bryant pictures were displayed everywhere. The money for the Internet cafe to view Bryant’s highlights was the best present his parents could have given him. After a Los Angeles Lakers game years later, when Kuminga was a top high school prospect, he had the chance to meet Bryant and was taken aback that the legendary player recognized him.
Even though Kuminga still aspires to be the next Kobe, all he had to do after getting selected by the Warriors was to look to his left and right for role models that exemplified his ideal life on and off the court.
In order to continue on the tradition and establish their own dynasty, the Warriors’ youthful core of Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Trayce Jackson-Davis doesn’t require a group text outlining aspirations. It’s best not to say it. One can sense the culture.
Kuminga observes Steph Curry’s demeanor. How Draymond Green, a 6-foot-6 former second-round choice who has spent more than ten years destroying giants, transformed himself into a defensive genius and future Hall of Famer. The way Thompson attacked rehab. Andre Iguodala revealed his daily wise counsel, as well as how Kevon Looney doesn’t have to be loud to command respect in a room.
Kuminga is aware that being a Warrior comes with responsibilities.
“That’s just how you should look at things when you enter the league, especially if you were drafted here. According to Kuminga, that is the objective and the way you ought to view your life. It’s clear that Klay is no longer with us and is on a different team, but if you concentrate on what you see and what other people have accomplished, like Steph and Draymond, that’s what you want to achieve. You also need to put in as much effort as you can. You must be absolutely flawless.
We’re all not flawless, so I’m not saying you have to be, but if that’s what you want, then your objective is to reach it. That’s my constant attention, along with those identical footsteps.
One of Kuminga’s closest bonds with the Warriors is with a player who is currently in his 13th NBA season and is almost 13 years older than him. Kuminga is no longer being pushed by Iguodala, the teammate. Green has assumed that role, and Kuminga is always attempting to learn as much as he can from him, particularly the subtleties of the game, since he knows that’s what will help him advance.
According to Green, a great season for Kuminga would be equivalent to being named an All-Star, and the Warriors will host the 2025 celebrations at Chase Center. Given that he is capable of achieving those stats, Green thinks Kuminga must average about 20 points and seven rebounds in order for it to occur.
Since the beginning of the previous season, Green has actually been advocating for Kuminga to focus on the All-Star Game. Although Kuminga hears Green’s motive, it was his more profound words of support that caused him to return home and consider having more regard for his teammate. Mentors are proud of their mentees, nurturing their seeds and seeing them blossom into a bouquet deserving of respect.
There is no difference in the relationship between Kuminga and Green. These are their basketball talents and journeys. Green has a well-established legacy. Green is aware of how far he can travel and is savoring every new flower that emerges along the way, thus Kuminga hasn’t even touched the surface.
“All of your success is my success,” he said. I’m proud of you the more you succeed. It brings me happiness and pride. Kuminga divulged. Not many people will tell you that, so be prepared. “I want to know because it makes me happy,” he said. “Anything you do in life, like signing a contract or buying your parents a house.”
“I hope that I will always be able to return to Draymond and say, ‘Thank you,’ whether I end up being an All-Star or achieve any other achievement in life. You were of assistance to me. Giving someone money is not helping them. You can’t buy someone anything by helping them. Giving someone a little information is helping them.
He’s been tough on me since I’ve been here, teaching me new things every day. Little things like that, checking in on me.”
You’re right if that sounds more like a brother than a teammate. There aren’t many differences between locker rooms that are at their best, except from title.
When the Warriors selected Kuminga with the seventh overall pick, he was just eighteen years old. He had been nineteen for twenty-four days when he made his debut in a landslide victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kuminga’s adolescent self did not immediately reveal himself to teammates. Vulnerability is not a natural trait. You need time.
Kuminga is better off as a result of the shift. In an effort to establish common ground despite their differences, he has opened up to people like Green and let them into his life. Kuminga’s perspective has also expanded as a result of the thinking, enabling him to see past any preconceived ideas he may have about teammates and other individuals, including Green.
“Draymond is a good person,” Kuminga remarked, “but I used to think he’s just… I don’t know how to describe it.” “A great leader, a great mentor, a great son, a great husband to his wife, and a great father to his children.”
Kuminga goes on to include players like Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, Looney, Moody, Andrew Wiggins, and Gary Payton II as more examples; some have already permanently altered Warriors history, while others are still striving to do so.
Kuminga claims, “I had to learn about all those people, and they all became my brothers.”
Legacy sounds unique. It isn’t. In order to mimic Warriors icons and leave a legacy like Mutombo, Kuminga is proud to be a product of a family that transcends bloodlines and appreciates the beauty in everything every day.