"Even if I got Steph on the team, most of it is they wanna watch Jonathan" - Jonathan Kuminga reveals the extent of support he has back in Africa
Jonathan Kuminga has made a great name for himself in his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors. The 19-year-old is extremely happy with his progress and loves the support he is getting from the African continent. Kuminga was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has worked extremely hard to come up the ranks. He was picked seventh overall by the Warriors in the 2021 draft and in his limited time has proven to be a special talent.
Jonathan Kuminga has displayed some big performances in his rookie season and is slowly shaping up to be a key player for the team. The whole of Africa has been watching his brilliance and is loving what they are seeing from him. Speaking about the love he is getting from home, Jonathan Kuminga said in his post-game interview:
"It's really big, especially from everybody back home, a lot of people from what I know, back home, not just home, Africa whenever we play, a lot of people don’t go to sleep. They’re always trying to stay up and watch the game. Even if I got Steph on the team, most of it is they wanna watch Jonathan. It’s a good feeling having a continent cheering for you."
“A lot of people don’t go to sleep. They’re always trying to stay up and watch the game.
Even if I got Steph on the team but mostly they want to watch Jonathan. It’s a good feeling having a continent cheer for you.”
Kuminga on his influence back home https://t.co/peUyCRIYJN
Jonathan Kuminga certainly deserves every bit of recognition he has got this season. He already has a bunch of poster dunks and highlight reels this season and with 23 games remaining, he will be hoping to get a few more into his collection.
The youngster was initially not named in the NBA Rising Stars game, but an injury to Chris Duarte helped him find a spot there. All of his teammates were very excited for him and congratulated him on his first big step. When asked how he felt about being selected for the game, Jonathan Kuminga replied by saying:
"I mean, it's a blessing, most people dont get it, I mean I wasn't at first, I got selected so I'm happy to be in it. I'm gonna go out there and just represent the team, represent myself and my family, just compete and just have fun."
See you in Cleveland 😎
Jonathan Kuminga will represent #DubNation as a 2022 NBA Rising Star! https://t.co/Ne1A3rpeHc
Jonathan Kuminga put up yet another stunning performance for the Warriors
Jonathan Kuminga has been terrific in the past month and is slowly getting a lot more minutes to showcase his skills. The rookie was given the responsibility of coming off the bench in the game against the Denver Nuggets and played his role to perfection.
@NBCSAuthenticJK is truly a Rising Star ⭐️
📺 @NBCSAuthentic https://t.co/xdA7HC4sjB
Having played 20 minutes, Kuminga scored 12 points on 5-6 shooting from the field. He also drained two three-pointers, which shows how versatile his game is as a player.
The crowd was excited to see Kuminga make those big plays and cheered him all through his time on the court. Coach Steve Kerr has heaped praise on the rookie and is extremely happy to see the player the youngster is developing into. Speaking about him in the post-game interview, Kerr said:
"Kuminga's been great, you know he's strung together a great month really coming along well and thrilled with his development and his production and his growth. He's gaining a lot of valuable experience right now and played a good game tonight."
are you serious rn @JonathanKuming6
📺 #NBAonABC https://t.co/mykb7zc5XQ
The youngster has a long and exciting career ahead of him. He is certainly in the right setup and is playing for one of the best teams in the league. However, if Kuminga has to keep growing and excelling into the player many are expecting him to be, the rookie will have to work hard and keep working on his game.