Jonathan Kuminga, a rising star for the Golden State Warriors, has been fined $35,000 for his actions towards an official during a recent preseason game. This comes as bad news to the Warriors, as Kuminga just re-signed with the team on a two-year, $46.8 million deal earlier this month.
When Kuminga showed up to training camp a few days late, it had NBA fans and pundits alike scratching their heads. His on-field performance that day, though, revealed his promise. At the time of his exit, he had tallied seven points, six rebounds, and four assists.
The injury took place in the closing moments of the second quarter. Kuminga took at least half a shot on his body, but official Rodney Mott chose not to make a foul call. Annoyed by the absence of a referee’s whistle, Rodger for his part stalked Mott and sexually assaulted her. The league described the infraction as “making inappropriate contact with and continuing to pursue a game official.”
Kuminga’s frustration began not just at the lack of a foul call, but rightly believing he was fouled on the play. Especially when he got super erratic after he got his right ankle hit on his gather step. All of this occurred while he was trying a barreling transition drive through two defenders. He got tripped and lost the layup, setting up his short-lived but immediate face-off with Mott.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke on the incident and revealed his conflicting views on Kuminga’s ejection. “I wasn’t surprised he got ejected because he kind of got right in [Mott’s] face,” Kerr said. “You can’t do that. They are literally going to throw you out if you do that.”
Even with the ejection, Kerr said he liked the competitive spirit that had been evident by a still-maturing Kuminga this season. “He got fouled. It was a frustration play. I have no problem with it. He deserved the foul. He was getting fouled quite a bit. It was a physical game,” Kerr added.
Kuminga has dealt with a checkered past of ankle injuries, most notably a gruesome hobble last year that still lingers over him. He remembered a painful flashback from his passion. It was unfortunate when Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija rolled onto his ankle during their game on Christmas Day.
Throughout the preseason, Kuminga has shown improvement in his playmaking abilities. This exciting development will hopefully result in even bigger contributions for the blog team this coming year! However, as this latest exchange has underscored, it’s essential for him to learn to better control his emotions on the court.
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