Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga: Benching 'Don't Affect Me at All, I Stay Professional'
January 13, 2024
Jonathan Kuminga went back to the bench on Friday but still excelled with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting in 24 minutes in a 140-131 road win over the Chicago Bulls.
His playing time and role have been points of contention of late, to the point where Kuminga and head coach Steve Kerr had a meeting to clear the air.
This time around, though, Kuminga wasn't bothered by Kerr's decision to have him come off the bench, breaking a 14-game starting streak.
"I've been coming off the bench since I've been here, so that don't affect me at all. I stay professional," he said, per Jack Winter of Clutch Points.
"As long as I go out there—like I always say—go out there and help my team win, just enjoying being with this group of guys every day, it don't matter if I play less minutes."
Kuminga played just 19 minutes against the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 4. After that game, a report emerged that Kuminga had "lost faith" in Kerr's ability to have him reach his full potential, per The Athletic's Anthony Slater and Shams Charania.
The player and coach patched things up publicly, though, with Kuminga saying he loved it in Golden State and never complained to Kerr in their meeting.
Ultimately, it seems like those two are in a much better place. Although Kuminga came off the bench versus the Bulls, he was a huge reason why the team launched a great comeback victory. He outscored the entire Bulls' second unit 24-22 by himself.
Kuminga and the Warriors will continue their four-game road trip on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
