When Jonathan Kuminga stepped onto the court Tuesday night and dropped 20 points in just 21 minutes, it wasn’t some out-of-nowhere explosion. According to Draymond Green, this was the result of months of quiet grind-work that doesn’t show up in box scores or highlight reels but matters just as much.
On the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors veteran made it clear: Kuminga’s breakout wasn’t a fluke. It was the payoff of staying ready when it would've been easy to check out.
“You don't have that game he had last night if you haven't been in the gym, if you haven't been doing the work,” Green said. “And he's been doing the work. I applaud him.”
That work came during a stretch where Kuminga wasn’t seeing the floor-16 games, to be exact, where he logged DNPs despite being healthy. For a young player trying to carve out a consistent role, that kind of stretch can be deflating. But Green saw something different in the 21-year-old forward.
“Most people let go of the rope,” Green said. “He didn’t let go of the rope.”
That resilience, Green believes, is rooted in more than just basketball. Kuminga’s journey from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the NBA wasn’t easy, and that background shapes how he responds to adversity. As Green put it, letting go “wasn’t an option” for him-even when the minutes disappeared and his role was in limbo.
But Green didn’t stop at praising Kuminga. He also gave a nod to the behind-the-scenes leadership of head coach Steve Kerr, highlighting just how much goes into keeping a player mentally and emotionally invested during a tough stretch.
“You don’t sit a guy for 16 games and just throw them in the game,” Green said. “You have to have a conversation. You have to know the right thing to say, how to say it, how to make sure that guy is on board, how to get the best out of that player.”
That kind of communication and trust-building doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the kind of work that doesn’t get much attention but can make or break a season-especially for a team like the Warriors, trying to navigate a competitive Western Conference while developing young talent.
“I know people think we just roll the basketballs out and go play,” Green said. “There's so much work done behind the scenes.
So much more that goes into it. And so, I give Steve credit on how he handled it.”
The result? Kuminga was ready when the moment came-right after Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury opened a door in the rotation. And he didn’t just walk through it; he kicked it down.
For the Warriors, that’s a win on multiple levels. Not just because of Kuminga’s scoring punch, but because it’s a sign that the culture-the communication, the accountability, the quiet work-is still doing what it’s supposed to do.
And for Kuminga, it’s a reminder that patience, persistence, and preparation still matter in this league.