When ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith claimed he heard Jonathan Kuminga was “shortchanging” the Warriors with his attitude this summer, those who know the 20-year-old best quickly came to his defense.
His coach, Steve Kerr, called the report “weird,” noting that he and Warriors general manager Bob Myers were taken aback by it.
Andre Iguodala, Kuminga's mentor, publicly refuted the claim on his “Point Forward” podcast.
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But Kuminga himself? He didn’t feel the need to address Smith’s comments at the time.
“Man, I don’t even know where he got that information,” Kuminga told The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “I never worry about it. I never respond to it. I never want to talk about it. It’s just wasting my energy.
“I never worry about what Stephen A. or whoever say. Because he gets paid to talk about people. I don’t blame him. I don’t complain about it. Because at the end of the day, I know what I do and what I don’t.”
Smith’s comments came during a "First Take" episode in August, where he said he was worried about Kuminga while praising Warriors youngsters James Wiseman and Moses Moody.
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“I’m hearing too many things about [Kuminga] off the court in terms of his head, the level of discipline that he lacks, you understand?” Smith said. “Some of the foolishness … I’m talking attitude, I’m not talking actions. I’m saying the attitude, the level of focus, commitment, determination, just putting your head down and doing the work.
“I’m hearing that he’s shortchanging the Warriors in that regard, and he’s got to get his act together because I’m a Jonathan Kuminga fan.”
While Smith is paid to entertain the masses on “First Take,” Kuminga is paid to play basketball to the best of his abilities -- and the second-year pro’s offseason was spent making sure he’ll do just that this year.
In addressing Smith’s claims during an appearance on “The TK Show” with The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami last month, Kerr made it clear nothing about Kuminga’s demeanor over the summer was an issue for the Warriors.
“JK’s had a really great summer, he’s done everything we asked of him,” Kerr said. “He’s traveled some because he’s played for his national team during the summer, but he’s been working really hard.”
RELATED: Iguodala worth listening to on Kuminga, NBA's youth evolution
Kuminga appeared in five preseason games for the Warriors and started two, averaging 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
As Golden State prepares to open the 2022-23 NBA season against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Tuesday night, Kuminga certainly will look to prove his doubters wrong.