After a rocky offseason, Jonathan Kuminga is back in the headlines after being ejected from an NBA game for the first time in his career.
If you thought Jonathan Kuminga would disappear from the spotlight after agreeing to a contract with the Golden State Warriors, you were wrong. He was ejected in the second quarter of the final preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers after a no-call from the referees.
Kuminga did not receive a whistle as he headed to the hoop due to contact, so he slapped the referee in the face and was immediately ejected from the game. Despite the obvious tension between Kuminga and Kerr that came to light at the end of last season, Steve Kerr defended Kuminga.
At the time, Kuminga appeared simply frustrated by not getting free throws despite fighting through contact at the rim. But what he told NBA officials indicates there was more to this incident, which goes a long way toward explaining it.
At first glance, it appeared that as Kuminga went through the hoop against the Blazers’ defense, Portland’s Chris Murray grabbed his right arm and Jerami Grant struck his left wrist at the same time. That caused Kuminga to miss a layup.
However, Kuminga explained to Warriors reporter Anthony Slater that he was frustrated by the contact on his ankle. He stumbled forward as his foot collided with Deni Avdija who was reaching out from behind.
Kuminga injured that ankle last season, which is why he reacted so emotionally.
Slater posted on X: “Jonathan Kuminga said it was a trip on his right ankle from behind that caused the no-call (and the first ejection of his career).
“It’s the same ankle he had a major injury to last season. He had some worrying flashbacks. He was a little sore after the game, but said he was fine.”
Kuminga’s ankle injury last season was serious. He first suffered the sprain in January against the Memphis Grizzlies and relapsed in March. He was out of action for more than two months last season to recover, but returned to action on March 18th.
That said, it’s entirely understandable why Kuminga would react so emotionally to Whistle’s absence in a crucial year for the 23-year-old.
Kuminga’s exit was extremely disappointing for the forward, who had a great opportunity to prove himself in the pre-season games.
Jimmy Butler was out with an ankle injury, and Kerr decided not to play against Draymond Green that night. That means Kuminga had a chance to play big minutes alongside Stephen Curry.
He had built up a solid stat line by the time he was ejected in the second quarter. Kuminga had seven points, six rebounds and four assists against the Trail Blazers. He has shown his ability as a playmaker for the Warriors, and he did a good job in a supporting role in this game as well.
Fortunately, Kerr didn’t mind Kuminga’s exit, so relations between the two sides didn’t deteriorate further before the season started.
If he can stay healthy this year, Kuminga could finally become an important young player for this team. The Warriors have the oldest projected starting five in the NBA. Butler, Green, Curry and Al Horford are all looking to manage their playing time in hopes of a long season.
This will allow Kuminga to be consistently integrated into the entire lineup as one of the team’s young, talented players. Again, this makes his reaction to a potential injury more understandable.