It's been a great season for the NBA and this month, we're looking forward to All-Star Weekend as well as anticipating the back half of the season! We caught up with Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga who is in his rookie year (just a year ago he was drafted into the G League) and was drafted 7th in 2021. We talked with him ahead of being added to the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend. He talked with us about coming to the Warriors, how he values playing with his teammates, where he sees himself and being able to play against his mentor, Kyrie Irving.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with basketball and what was the moment that you knew you wanted to be able to play it professionally?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: I think I fell in love with basketball at the age of 10. That’s when I was trying to go to the gym every single day. My parents weren’t interested in me doing that because the area that I grew up in, it wasn’t like here where there were gyms everywhere and so it was a long walk for me to be able to get there. So at that age, my parents weren’t really letting me do it.

AM: You went 7th in the NBA Draft in 2021. What was that experience like and how excited were you to come to the Warriors?

JK: I mean, it was a good experience. People don’t get drafted twice! When I heard my name and that I was going to the Warriors, it was a blessing. It was a good thing for me and I felt that it was a perfect fit. And as you can see now, I’m getting comfortable with the team. I was super happy when that happened.

AM: What workouts do you do that help to optimize you when you’re on the court?

JK: I mean, it’s not just about the workout, but it’s about listening and watching films over and over. You have to see how you play and how they play and on top of that, it’s about the work ethic that you put in every single day. I think that's really important.

AM: What does your week look like when you’re leading up to a game. What would you say your flow is?

JK: Honestly, I’m super laid back and chill guy. I don’t do too much, I just stay home. I have my 2 dogs so I have my guys with me and I like to kick back and play 2K and just chill with my dogs. That’s all that I do. I don’t really do too much. I don’t go to the mall – I don’t go nowhere.

AM: Ok, you’re a homebody!

JK: Yeah!

AM: Do you have any routines that you have to do the night before a game or moments before a game?

JK: No. So I don’t have a routine. I just go out there and play. When I get in the gym or I get on the court, my mind changes. My mind switches right away. I don’t think about anything else but basketball when I’m out there. So I don’t have a routine although I am trying to think about having it.

AM: You play with some incredible people on your team from Steph, Klay, Wiggins and Draymond! What’s it like to be around that energy and to learn from them as well as play with them?

JK: That’s the fam right there – that’s the legends! I’m learning every single day and it’s super exciting especially being the rookie and playing along with those guys. They never complain about anything that you do on the court if it’s bad or good they just encourage you to be good. To have those legends like that giving you advice – a lot of people don’t get it. There are a lot of rookies that got drafted to different teams and they don’t have that given to them. I’m just super blessed to be on that team.

AM: You played at the same high school as Kyrie Irving did and I know that he has been a mentor to you over the years and he recently gave you his jersey. What’s that like to have that relationship with him and finally being able to play against him now that you’re in the NBA?

JK: It’s actually crazy because even growing up, I used to watch Kyrie. We went from meeting each other to him being a mentor to me and then finally being able to play against him! It’s just crazy because I never thought that that would happen! But it happened and him giving me his jersey – a lot of people don’t get something like that from him. It was a good moment and a special one.

AM: What are your goals for this year, what are you looking forward to as you play through the season – do you have anything that you’re aiming for?

JK: I’ve got the biggest goals of anybody else. People would say, “man you’re a rookie and you’re already thinking ahead of you.” My big goal this year is that I want to play for the Championship. I feel like we have a chance to do it with the way that we play, the way that we get better every day and the way that we get to know each other every day. I feel like we have a big chance to do it and that pretty much is my biggest goal. As long as I’m on this team and helping them win and getting better every day, I think that’s my biggest goal.

IG @jonathan_kuminga

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images