Less than two-and-a-half months after a report stated that he had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga said this week during the latest episode of the Dubs Talk podcast that he wants to remain in Golden State for the rest of his career, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“I would love to just be one of the Warriors for life – and just never change,” Kuminga said, indicating that he’d like to follow in the footsteps of teammates Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, as well as his all-time favorite player, Kobe Bryant.
“When I look at those three people – Steph and Klay and Draymond – and I look at their pictures in the practice facility every day, I’m like, ‘This is where I want to be.’ I want to be right there.” Kuminga said, according to Poole. “I want to play here my whole life.
“You don’t choose and control where you want to be, but that’s the goal. That’s where I want to be. I want my name hanging next to those guys one day. And, you know, anywhere you get drafted, you always have love for the places you get drafted. And, obviously, I got drafted here. The people are great. They always take care of me. They’re always helping me grow as a person.
“… Obviously, my favorite player (Bryant) was a Laker for life,” he added. “So, obviously, I would love to be a Warrior for life.”
It’s a fascinating turnaround from earlier in the year for Kuminga, whose future with the Warriors appeared to be in doubt when that report about his frustration with his role surfaced in early January. He and Kerr subsequently had a one-on-one meeting to talk things out, and the 21-year-old has played a bigger role in the months since then.
In his past 28 games, Kuminga has averaged 20.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 30.3 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .551/.393/.793. Looking back on where things stood before his recent breakout, the 2021 lottery pick explained during his Dubs Talk appearance that he never wanted to leave the Warriors but that he believed he had earned a chance to play more consistent minutes.
“I did not lose faith of being here; it’s not what I said,” Kuminga said. “It was just definitely to a point where I felt like I need to be (on the court). I felt like I could help. I felt like there was just so much left on the table where I felt like me and the young guys could go out there and help Steph, Klay and Draymond.
“… It was just me trying to go out there and just find a way to play. Find a way to be on the floor. Find a way to help every young guy get their chance. And as you see every young guy getting a chance, including me, we are doing the things that we were supposed to be doing. We’re not going to help every day. We’re not going to win every day. But as you gain that experience, you’re going out there and just helping as much as we can.”
Besides Kuminga, rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis have seen regular playing time for the Warriors this season, while fellow ’21 lottery pick Moses Moody is also averaging a career high in minutes per game.
Kuminga is in the third season of his four-year rookie contract, so he’ll become eligible for a rookie scale extension in July. Two or three months ago, it was unclear whether Golden State would pursue a new deal with the young forward this offseason, but it seems relatively safe to assume now that the team will make a strong effort to lock him up long-term.
If he and the Warriors don’t agree to an extension by the start of the 2024/25 season, Kuminga will be eligible for restricted free agency during the summer of 2025.
lacob will sign him to a extension. With $80 million coming off the books at the end of the season there will be money to spend for the first time in years to improve the team.
I hate him for life he cheap shot embiids season away.
Now, try speaking English when you say that. What did JK say?
It’s not what he said, it’s how he landed on Joel Embiid’s leg. You see guys do that all the time in basketball. When going for the ball they actually try to go through the player to get to the ball. It’s absolute crap and I hate to see it.
Or on some of the jump ball calls even. “The guy Dove on me to get a piece of the ball and you’re calling a jump?”
“I’m on the bottom dying and there’s no foul here?”
I hate that stuff.
Tell your boy Embiid to put concrete on his knees then you squid
You mean when Embiid playing hurt and couldn’t move very well fell down on Kuminga? Embiid was not even at 20% healthy and had no business being on the court that day.
@ ARC 2 – It’s so true, since the beginning of that game broadcasters were talking about Embiid not feeling %100 and his knee ailing him..that’s all on Nurse for gambling his best player..
Embiid was not moving well at all during the game. He is the MVP this season if he did not get hurt. You barely knew he was out there. Why the 76ers took that chance and put him out there is a big mistake.
Arc that’s true. He should never have been out there.
This seems to be a prime example of being able to solve a problem if you just sit down and work it out. Win-win for both sides; hopefully, it will be another lesson learned as well.
Im sorry but this is a bold ass thing to say when your team is the 10 seed with no real hope of getting higher than that. Kuminga has put up half of a good year and now wants the key to the city. Starting to see how selfish JK is. Maybe Draymond can donkey punch some sense into him.
The Warrior hate just oozes out everywhere.
Huh? Where did he say he wants the ‘key to the city’? Players, on far worse teams in all sports, say they want to stay with the same team. You must be completely new to sports. He also said he doesn’t have control over that. How is any of that selfish? You have some pretty bizarre beliefs.
WB has always been a warrior hater. He just comes here to slam the warriors every opportunity he can.
LOL as if time hasn’t already absolved Draymond, as Poole has shown his true colors in DC. Kid has a serious attitude problem.
Nothing has been “absolved” as far as Draymond is concerned. Punching a dude in the face for comments that don’t include death threats is just asinine. The worse thing Poole said is that Draymond is “an expensive backpack for 30 [Steph]”, which is a comment Draymond has gotten for nearly a decade at this point. Doesn’t matter how much of an ignorant clown the other person is. His reaction was out of line.
Poole said more than that.
So what? What exactly did he say that deserved being attacked with fists? Something Draymond, the great trash talker, heard that was so bad he had to physically attack him? Ridiculous.
Kid needs to learn to keep his thoughts shelved when it comes to the media. Bouncing from raking the coach (who is well respected) to committing for life shows emotional diarrhea of the mouth. I’m sure he’ll learn over time.
‘Emotional diarrhea of the mouth’? Before you make comments like that, you need to learn the whole story. He didn’t rake Kerr. He was upset with his playing time. Kerr sat him down and showed him what he wanted JK to do to earn more playing time. He also listened to Draymond. Since then, he has been doing just those things. And, the numbers show it. That sounds like maturity to me. All of this has been reported on; it is public knowledge.
Point made is griping to the media. Self awareness after the first report and following it up with what is now reported comes off as an emotional rollercoaster. Learn, then speak.
Padam, he’s trying to correct his wrongs. Blasting the coach publicly was wrong and he’s doing his best to backtrack and fix it. Can’t blame him for that can you?
He didn’t say anything about the previous gripes, has previously stated that he feels that the situation is resolved as he earned his place, and now wants to move forward. I don’t see where you’re getting this from, padam. Sure, it’s not the most self-aware thing in the world, but in context, it doesn’t seem anywhere near what you’re saying.
You are ignoring the media reports about the situation. Absolutely no emotional roller-coaster. Kerr and JK talked, and they worked together. And now you are seeing the results. Why is that so hard.
The NBA is becoming the WWE and these ridiculous media stories that twist and fabricate narratives are becoming tiresome. What the media reports the player saying, and what the player actually said are two very different things. By the way, this is how all media operates. Never believe any form of news, always consume the source material yourself, and make up your own mind.
Yeah he just comes off as a psychopath. We don’t need every opinion all the time. Guess that’s the world we live in.
I’m sorry, what? Do you even know what a psychopath is? That’s a very specific psychological definition. This barely qualifies as mediocre self-awareness.
Huh?
Nothing to be up in arms about , this is the new playbook per new cba
Your going to hear a lot more players in love with their home teams before contract ext’s than in years past
Exactly. Under the CBA, a player can make more $$ for life if he stays with his original (RSC) team for life. So, all other things being equal, every rational player will want to stay with his original team for life. It’s only news when a guy wants to leave his original team.
Yea I’m kinda confused on the confusion !
This board had a hard time following the last cba tho so perhaps I’ll give them 6 years to get on board with the nuisances of this one
I’m confused by people’s response to what JK said. Every player in every team sport says that is up for a new contract says exactly the same thing. People are acting like this is something new.
He won’t be