GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 30, 2024

Jonathan Kuminga

Media Conference

Q. We've seen and heard about all of your workouts over the summer. In what area do you think your game has improved the most?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: It's been a long summer. I would say my game just improve on different aspects -- shooting, ability of shooting, just creating my own shot, just working on being a full, complete player. That's pretty much it.

Q. We've just heard about the passing away of Dikembe Mutombo. How inspiring was he for you, for Congo? Do you have any personal memories of him to share?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: It was crazy news early in the morning. It's very sad. Great person. I got to meet him a couple times and share moments, and we all look up to him. Pretty much every Congolese kid. Every African kid coming from Africa, one of the first Congolese kid to play in the NBA, someone who had a great career.

If you look at things he did, just based off basketball, how he helped to build a lot of things in the country. He helped a lot of kids come in, and they're reaching their goals. He was a great man, and it's just a very sad hearing that happened. We're all going to miss him. It's just very sad to hear that news.

He was a very great guy. A lot of people -- maybe a lot of people didn't know who he was, but once you sit down with him and just talk to him, he's a very happy person.

Q. Jonathan, the other day Steve was saying how heading into this camp and this season, the starting lineup, rotation is up in the air, everything's up for grabs. Is having that kind of battle heading into training camp, it doesn't change your approach, but is it nice to kind of say anything is possible, to say you can kind of get anything through this camp?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: I'm not fazed with him saying that. It doesn't affect me in any way. It's important to just go out there and just do what I need to do, do things I always do. And see how it goes. Not worried about anything. I'm excited actually to just start.

Q. You're entering your fourth year.

JONATHAN KUMINGA: Yes.

Q. Entering your fourth year, how do you approach -- because it can be quite a swing year for a lot of players. What are you hoping to accomplish this season?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: Just to have a great season, have a great season. The better I play, the more helpful it is to our team, to everyone's success. I'm just looking to go out there and just perform my best and just help us win as many games as we can.

Maybe looking at the bigger picture, everyone probably wants to win a championship, things like that, but it's too early so say that. That's pretty much my goal, just looking forward to go out there and share a court with the new players we just got, with some of the guys that have been here for a long time, and just having a great season.

Q. Jonathan, when Klay Thompson left, Rocco also left. Sorry to be light hearted here, but most people may not be aware that you own two French bulldogs. What is your relationship with them? How much do you love them? Just tell the world about these two pups.

JONATHAN KUMINGA: The way I got them, it's very unique way because I was around when I was in the G-League. We were in Walnut Creek. I was very lonely. It was quarantine time, and you couldn't have your teammates -- you couldn't hang out with your teammates sometimes because of COVID.

I just choose to get one of them, and the one was kind of lonely too sometimes, so I had to get another one. And just having them around kind of helped. It helped me so much just having something to -- every time I have to work, practice, or games, to go back to and just looking or playing with them.

I love them so much. I don't know, I love my puppies. I cannot even give them up to anybody. I love having them.

Q. Your extension is obviously going to be a topic, possible extension. Do you think something might be able to get done in the next month or so?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: Hopefully. Only God knows. I don't know what's going to happen. It will be good, but that's not my concern. Like I said, I'm just happy to be here, happy to start a new season fourth year, and things are going to by itself handle.

I'd love to have it, but I'm not really concerned about it. If I get it, if I don't, it's cool. I'm still going to be me. I'll just go out there and perform. But that's not a problem.

Q. We're hearing about these scrimmages, these pickup games. Have they been more interesting because you kind of got some veterans, new veterans coming in, Kyle Anderson, Melton, Hield. Has that made it more interesting? What have these games been like for you?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: I haven't really participated too much, but I've been watching from outside. Just seeing those guys being out there, the guys that have been in the league for a minute, they know how to play basketball, and I just can't wait to share the court with them because I feel like I'm going to help them and they're going to help me a lot.

I'm just looking forward to sharing the court with the new guys.

Q. You mentioned the long off-season. Why did it feel long, and how was it good or bad?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: My off-season wasn't bad at all. It felt very long because I end up doing something new to my hair that I never thought of doing. Obviously it was great for me. I got time to even know myself better. I got time to work on things that are going to help me succeed, that are going to help our team succeed.

It was a great summer, I would say. It's one of my best summers so far.

Q. When you say you have to work on yourself, you mean your game and just your whole self?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: My game, knowing things that I like to do besides playing basketball, learning more about the work. Once you're stuck too much in basketball, you don't get to do different things. So just enjoying just traveling, going to different fashion shows, and just meeting new people. And obviously my new look. That's pretty much it.

Q. How eager are you to get back to the game and to have games again?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: I'm itching. I'm itching, can't wait. I'm very excited, looking forward to it. It's going to be a great season. So I just can't wait to start.

Q. Jonathan, what inspired the new look?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: There's not that much inspiration to it. Like I said, I had a long summer. I had a long summer. That's it.

Q. What are you looking forward to most about the trip to Hawaii, maybe off the court?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: Off the court, just sharing a great time with my teammates. Sharing the time with my family. Some of them are going to fly out there. Just seeing what the city is about.

Q. Jonathan, it sounds like you're going to miss Rocco a little bit, but what are you going to miss about having Klay around on a day-to-day basis?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: I would say his personality. I think a lot of people don't know Klay, who's Klay off the court is a great guy off the court. He loves to try new stuff. Klay is willing to try new stuff, as you guys saw. He went to Africa not long ago. That's who Klay is. He's just a very adorable person off the court because he enjoy spending time with people, he enjoy talking to people.

He's actually very smart. And that's pretty much what I'm going to miss about Klay, just his personality, he's a great person.

Q. As you look ahead to your fourth year, how much confidence, how much sort of momentum do you take from last year? You clearly took a big step forward last year. How much does that sort of carry over mentally, emotionally, confidence-wise?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: Just going into my fourth year, just the way things end up last year, that just give me a lot of confidence knowing what the NBA is about, helping me even get better at my game, and being more confident, being around all my teammates playing for this organization, just knowing what I could do.

It helped so much, like just seeing what I did last year. It's like things in motion by getting better. It's just helping me to learn the game even better, going into my fourth year knowing what I need to do to succeed or what I need to do to help my team win games.

Q. If I can ask a quick followup, and how much license or need do you feel to be more aggressive scoring, not just because you did it last year, but with Klay gone? As much as you liked him and connected with him, there's a lot of offense that vanished when he left.

JONATHAN KUMINGA: That was even a case of this summer, just working on being one of those guys that they can rely on one of those nights to go out there and help them win it. So I'm really excited. I'm looking forward to that, and I'm very comfortable just coming out there and just being one of those guys that could score, that could put pressure at the rim and help us win.

Q. How important do you believe the development of the young core is going to be for the ceiling of this team this season?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: I still believe. I believe in all the young guys. I believe on just seeing their progressions, sharing moments with them, especially including me, being around seeing how everyone is progressing. It's amazing to watch. I think a lot of people haven't seen it yet, but there's going to be time -- every good things come out to light. We're just going to see it.

I see it. I got to share a moment with all of us, me included, as a young player here, and I can't wait for you guys to see it.

Q. What are your dogs' names?

JONATHAN KUMINGA: My first one is Dior; my second one is Prada.