Warriors forward Draymond Green planted a flag in support of Jonathan Kuminga before the high-flying youngster became the Warriors' rising star.
Ever since he begged then-general manager Bob Myers to select Kuminga with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Green and the young forward have developed a special bond as Warriors teammates, and that's something Kuminga has This is his driving force to never let the greens down.
On the latest edition of NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole and Kerys Burke's “Dubs Talk,” Kuminga was asked if he heard Green urging him to select him on draft night, and the young forward said he didn't. I explained to him, and I have answered that way ever since. The two were very close.
“Yeah, someone said that before,” Kuminga said. “I always tell people that Draymond just helps me and pushes me and every other day doesn't start today, Draymond wanted me to get drafted here, so I never I don't want to give him a bad impression.
“That's why every time it pushes me, it motivates me to be a better person, a better player. It makes me believe that everything went well.”
Green was in Tokyo for the Olympics during the 2021 draft, but he stayed up late and texted Myers, telling him to draft Kuminga and protect Moses Moody with picks No. 7 and No. 14. . Myers was interested in both, but Greene's vote of confidence sealed the decision in the first place.
Both Moody and Kuminga have developed into legitimate scoring threats for the Warriors, and the latter's incredible growth curve this season has been one of the main catalysts for Golden State's meteoric rise up the Western Conference standings. ing.
Kuminga played one season in the NBA G League but was still a very raw talent entering the draft. Still, Myers, Green and the rest of the organization saw something special in the young man, and it benefited both Kuminga and the Warriors.
Since discussing his role and playing time with coach Steve Kerr, Kuminga has been on a tear, consistently scoring in double figures and giving Golden State an inside presence to complement its outside shooting.
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