Jonathan Kuminga
Kuminga in 2018
No. 00 – Golden State Warriors
PositionPower forward / small forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2002-10-06) October 6, 2002
Goma, DR Congo
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school
NBA draft2021: 1st round, 7th overall pick
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Playing career2020–present
Number0, 00
Career history
2020–2021NBA G League Ignite
2021–presentGolden State Warriors
2021→Santa Cruz Warriors
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Jonathan Malangu Kuminga (born October 6, 2002) is a Congolese professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A consensus five-star recruit and the top small forward in the 2021 class, he chose to forgo his college eligibility and reclassify to the 2020 class to join the NBA G League Ignite. Kuminga finished his high school career at The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey.

The Warriors selected Kuminga with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. During his rookie season, he won an NBA championship with the team.

Early life

Kuminga began playing basketball in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at age two.[1] In 2016, he moved to the U.S. to play high school basketball.[2]

High school career

As a freshman, Kuminga played basketball for Huntington Prep School in Huntington, West Virginia.[3] For his sophomore season, he transferred to Our Savior New American School in Centereach, New York and averaged 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game.[4] In January 2019, Kuminga was named most valuable player of the Slam Dunk to the Beach showcase after scoring 40 points, a single-game record at the event, in a loss to Gonzaga College High School.[5] He earned MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year honors.[4] After the season, Kuminga averaged 20.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the NY Rens at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, facing many players older than him. He scored 43 points, shooting 7 of 11 from three-point range, against the Texas Titans, a team featuring top recruits Cade Cunningham and Greg Brown.[6]

For his junior season, Kuminga transferred to The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey.[7] On December 23, 2019, he made his season debut, scoring 20 points in a win over Roselle Catholic High School, after having been ruled ineligible for 30 days by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association due to transfer rules.[8] On January 3, 2020, Kuminga suffered an ankle sprain that sidelined him for about a month.[9] As a junior, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.[10]

Recruiting

As a high school sophomore, Kuminga emerged as one of the best recruits in the 2021 class, with most recruiting services ranking him first in his class by the time he was a junior.[11] On July 15, 2020, he reclassified to the 2020 class and announced that he would bypass college basketball to join the NBA G League Ignite over offers from Texas Tech, Auburn, Duke and Kentucky, among other college programs.[12] At the end of his high school career, he was a consensus five-star recruit and the best small forward in the 2020 class. He was considered the third-best player in his class by Rivals.com and the fourth best by 247Sports.com and ESPN after reclassifying.[13][14][15]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jonathan Kuminga
SF		 Kinshasa, DR Congo The Patrick School (NJ) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) — 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 3  247Sports: 4  ESPN: 4
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 15, 2020.

Professional career

NBA G League Ignite (2020–2021)

On July 15, 2020, Kuminga signed a one-year contract with the NBA G League Ignite, a developmental team affiliated with the NBA G League.[16] On February 10, 2021, he made his debut, recording 19 points, four assists and four rebounds in a 110–104 win over the Santa Cruz Warriors.[17] Kuminga averaged 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.[18]

Golden State Warriors (2021–present)

The Golden State Warriors drafted Kuminga as the 7th pick in the 2021 NBA draft.[19] On August 3, 2021, he signed with the Warriors.[20] On October 30, Kuminga made his NBA debut, putting up three points and one steal in a 103–82 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.[21] On December 18, in his first career start, Kuminga put up a then career-high 26 points in a 119–100 loss to the Toronto Raptors.[22] On February 18, 2022, Kuminga participated in the Rising Stars Challenge game for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game weekend, replacing the injured Chris Duarte.[23][24][25] Kuminga ended his rookie season as an NBA champion after the Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.[26] At 19 years and 253 days, he became the second-youngest NBA champion, behind Darko Miličić.[27]

National team career

In August 2022, Kuminga joined the DR Congo men's national basketball team for the African 2023 World Cup qualifiers.[28] His older brother, Joel Ntambwe, was also on the roster. On August 26, 2022, he scored a team-high 18 points along with 6 rebounds for Congo in a 69–71 loss to Cameroon.[29]

Player profile

Kuminga is able to defend multiple positions and has elite potential to be a lockdown defender, with his near 7' wingspan and 6'8" height plus natural strength and speed. He also shows great potential to be a ball-handler, pointed to as one of the key players to extend the Warriors' dynasty. His passing vision improved in his rookie season. He has learned from teammates with him singling out Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green for their advice and his observing their performance.[30]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship


NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22† Golden State 701216.9.513.336.6843.3.9.4.39.3
2022–23 Golden State 671620.8.525.370.6523.41.9.6.59.9
Career 1372818.8.519.353.6713.41.4.5.49.6

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022† Golden State 1638.6.500.231.7691.7.5.2.15.2
2023 Golden State 1006.1.542.429.556.9.5.2.03.4
Career 2637.7.512.300.7141.4.5.2.14.5

Personal life

Kuminga's older brother, Joel Ntambwe, played college basketball for UNLV before transferring to Texas Tech in 2019.[1][31] Two of his cousins play professional basketball: Emmanuel Mudiay in the G League, and Omari Gudul in Europe.[32] Kuminga's first language is French, and he is continuing to learn English.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Zagoria, Adam (July 13, 2019). "Jonathan Kuminga makes case for No. 1 high school player in the nation, talks future plans". ZagsBlog. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  2. ↑ Jordan, Jason (July 7, 2020). "SI All-American TV: Top 2021 F Jonathan Kuminga Speaks on Social Injustice In Democratic Republic of Congo". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  3. ↑ Burlison, Frank (October 28, 2018). "Two elite 2022 guards among Pangos East standouts". Burlison on Basketball. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Divens, Jordan (April 18, 2019). "2018–19 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Sophomore All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  5. ↑ Riedel, Kenny (January 2, 2019). "Slam Dunk superlatives". Cape Gazette. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  6. ↑ Roberts, Ben (June 25, 2019). "UK basketball scholarship offer led to (very) long-distance phone call for top recruit". Kentucky.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  7. ↑ Jordan, Jason (August 26, 2017). "No. 1 Chosen 25 junior Jonathan Kuminga transfers to The Patrick School". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  8. ↑ Zagoria, Adam (December 23, 2019). "Jonathan Kuminga scores 20 in Patrick School debut after judge grants stay". Zagsblog. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  9. ↑ Corrigan, James (February 5, 2020). "Jonathan Kuminga returns from ankle injury, discusses Kobe's impact on his life". Zagsblog. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  10. ↑ Greco, Richard; Kinney, Mike; Minnick, Kevin (March 25, 2020). "Boys Basketball: Second team All-State, 2019–2020". NJ.com. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  11. ↑ Daniels, Evan (January 20, 2019). "Hoophall: Jonathan Kuminga progresses, as high majors pursue". 247Sports.com. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  12. ↑ Borzello, Jeff (July 15, 2020). "Top-five prospect Jonathan Kuminga latest to bypass college for G League". ESPN. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Jonathan Kuminga, 2020 Small forward". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Jonathan Kuminga – Basketball Recruiting – Player Profiles". ESPN. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Jonathan Kuminga, The Patrick School, Small Forward". 247Sports.com. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Five-Star Recruit Jonathan Kuminga Signs With NBA G League". nba.com. July 16, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  17. ↑ Irving, Kyle (February 11, 2021). "Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green: How did 2021 NBA Draft prospects play in their G League Ignite debut?". National Basketball Association. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  18. ↑ Irving, Kyle (July 7, 2021). "2021 NBA Draft: Jonathan Kuminga scouting report, strengths, weaknesses and player comparisons". National Basketball Association. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  19. ↑ Kurtenbach, Dieter (July 30, 2021). "Kurtenbach: With Kuminga selection, the Warriors bet big on themselves". The Mercury News. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Warriors Sign Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody". nba.com. August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  21. ↑ Thanawalla, Ali (October 30, 2021). "Kuminga hits 3-pointer in Warriors debut, gets game ball". NBC Sports. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  22. ↑ Haynes, Mark (December 18, 2021). "Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga gets 100% real on being benched games". ClutchPoints. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Kuminga added to Rising Stars Game at NBA All-Star Weekend". RSN.
  24. ↑ Shapiro, Michael. "Warriors Rookie Jonathan Kuminga Is a Rising Star". Sports Illustrated.
  25. ↑ Letourneau, Connor (February 19, 2022). "Jonathan Kuminga underwhelmed at Rising Stars, but his presence was all that mattered". San Francisco Chronicle.
  26. ↑ Kenney, Madeline (June 18, 2022). "Warriors: Will Jonathan Kuminga play in Summer League?". montereyherald.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  27. ↑ "The youngest players to win an NBA title". HoopsHype. June 17, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Splash brothers, Ibaka, Iggy encouraged me to play for my national team - Kuminga". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Congo DR v Cameroon boxscore - FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers - 26 August". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  30. ↑ Kuminga focused on being positionless force for Warriors, NBC Sports, Dalton Johnson, January 23, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  31. ↑ Anderson, Mark (May 26, 2019). "Joel Ntambwe leaving UNLV for Texas Tech". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Joel Ntambwe". UNLV Athletics. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
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