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Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second quarter at State Farm Arena on March 01, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins is still amazed that the Golden State Warriors failed to unlock Jonathan Kuminga during the four-and-a-half years the Congolese forward played under Steve Kerr’s coaching staff.
When Kuminga posterized Portland Trail Blazers rookie Yang Hansen with a one-handed dunk on Sunday, Wilkins made some interesting comments on the air. The Hall of Famer essentially thanked the Warriors for fumbling Kuminga, while questioning their basketball acumen and their inability to judge talent.
“Oh man, thank you, Golden State Warriors. We appreciate it,” Wilkins said on the local FanDuel Sports Network broadcast.
“…But I’m not surprised,” Wilkins said of Kuminga’s incredible athleticism. “I mean, this kind of play, we’ve seen Kuminga do before, you know, in Golden State, man. How you give up on a guy that young with that ability is beyond me.”
‘Thank You Warriors’ Chants
Wilkins’ sentiments were also shared by the Hawks fans who canted “Thank you Warriors” during Kuminga’s 21-point explosion against Portland on Sunday.
Through three games in Atlanta, Kuminga is averaging 21.3 points, 7.7 rebounds 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals on 68/56/77 shooting splits. All-Star forward Jalen Johnson is particularly excited about the fit next to a freak athlete like Kuminga.
“It’s cool. It’s gonna be exciting,” Johnson said of the Kuminga fit.
“I feel like we’re gonna play off each other really well. He creates a lot of pressure [driving] downhill, and he’s able to pass out of it. So if both of us can continue do that, and continue to build that chemistry, we’ll be alright.”
Hawks Excited About Kuminga
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder has repeatedly praised Kuminga’s unselfishness.
“He is really focused on moving the ball and being unselfish,” Snyder said after last Thursday’s win over the Wizards. “I thought he made a couple passes tonight that were really impressive, just looking the guy off and seeing the court. As he plays more and more, he is going to be more and more instinctive, particularly in the open court.”
Kuminga and the Hawks (31-31) will next face the Milwaukee Bucks (26-34) in an away game on Wednesday. Atlanta is on a four-game winning streak.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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