Jonathan Kuminga may only be 18 years, but the Warriors rookie seems to have the maturity that many older people seem to lack.
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The Golden State Warriors stayed put at the seventh overall pick in this year’s NBA draft and the grabbed the Congolese forward much to their delight.
The Warriors had always been eyeing Kuminga right from the start. Golden State thought Kuminga would be off the board by the time their pick rolled around, but after six anxious picks, the Warriors got their guy.
Kuminga is an athletic forward who could contribute on both sides of the ball if he develops properly. However, his game is a little raw, and he’ll need time before he settles into the groove of the NBA. Kuminga was lighting it up during the NBA’s Summer League, giving Warriors fans a lot of excitement.
Jonathan Kuminga’s summer league signature highlight to this point pic.twitter.com/sJ0hSI05HE
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) August 13, 2021
Kuminga’s life in the Congo has also given him a deep perspective on life, giving him the maturity that so many young players lack.
Jonathan Kuminga Experiencing Drunk People In Las Vegas Didn’t Have Him Fazed
At age 18, Kuminga would probably be getting ready to experience college life right now, partying hard maybe as many people do at that age. However, when he passed by a group of drunk students at Las Vegas, Kuminga’s response indicated he probably wouldn’t have embraced that lifestyle if he went to college.
“I’m too old for these streets. It’s just the way I look at myself. I’m not that young kid anymore.”
A lot of that mindset has to do with the fact that Kuminga grew up in the Congo, where nothing was stable and there were bigger, more important things to worry about than having fun and partying.
In May of this year, a volcano erupted in Goma, Congo, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee the area to avoid being killed. Kmuniga would donate a large chunk of his $500,000 NBA G-League salary to help raise relief funds for the area. That incident gave Kuminga a lot to think about.
“If I was out there still, I was going to be one of those kids running from the volcano,” he said. “I’ve been through a lot of things in life that the regular person can’t understand. Still, I never forget how fortunate I am. I’m one of the lucky ones.”
Despite leaving his family and friends behind, Kuminga still has them in his heart, sending money and offering financial support in any which way he can. Now that he’s realized his NBA dreams, he can help out in a much greater way too.
