The new Hawks star stated he doesn't want to call his 27-point debut performance a "statement."
In the wake of the sudden buzz by many about the Golden State Warriors following his sensational debut with the Atlanta Hawks, Jonathan Kuminga would rather focus on what lies ahead.
Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga
MIN: 23.84
PTS: 12.81 (54.48%)
REB: 5.9
AS: 2.57
ST: 0.48
BL: 0.29
TO: 2.29
GM: 21
Kuminga told reporters he doesn't want to hammer any emphatic statement for anyone after his major first game wearing the Hawks uniform.
"I wouldn’t call it a statement. Everybody’s always going to have their own opinions. I don’t really pay attention to what anybody says," Kuminga said. "At the end of the day, we’re trying to win as many games as we can here, and the window is very small for us to stack up as many wins as possible, however we get them.
"I think that’s my main focus. That’s been everybody else’s main focus on this team. We always talk about how we’ve got to figure it out, play collectively, and get wins. That’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter if I go out there, shoot two shots, and have two points, as long as I’m impacting the game in a way that helps us win. That’s all that really matters."
Making his first on-court appearance since Jan. 22 from a knee injury, Kuminga shrugged off rustiness as he served as the driving force in the Hawks' 119-98 dominant win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
As franchise star Jalen Johnson took an untimely exit due to a hip injury, Kuminga earned the nod from head coach Quin Snyder, and the Congolese forward didn't waste a single second of his expanded exposure.
Kuminga dropped a compelling performance in front of the Hawks crowd, finishing with a team-high 27 points in 9-of-12 shooting (3-of-4 threes) with seven boards, four assists and two steals across 24 minutes.
Kuminga was always spotted with a smile after finishing some plays, and he was definitely promising with his aggressiveness and explosive athleticism.
Kuminga endured an embattled campaign this 2025-26 season in Golden State, which led to his eventual NBA trade deadline exit. Right now, Kuminga stands in good spirits to be in Atlanta while savoring a fresh start.
"I feel great. New team. I think just having coaches and teammates who trusted me and pushed me throughout all my rehab to get to this point — I wouldn’t be here without them," Kuminga said. "So I appreciate them for being there every single day with me. I’m very excited to be here. Like I said, I’m here now. Let’s figure it out."
He added, "The vibe’s been great so far. From the beginning, since I got here until now, everybody’s been so welcoming. Like I said, they’ve been great from the top guys to the last man."
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