Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga enters decisive season with Dikembe Mutombo in mind – Andscape

LAIE, Hawaii – A week ago, Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga drove to work with optimism about a potential breakthrough NBA All-Star season. But as the Democratic Republic of Congo native approached the Chase Center, his joy turned to sadness when he learned that his legendary countryman Dikembe Mutombo had died.

“On media day, I drove to the arena with my friend, played music and drove to 'The City' (San Francisco),” Kuminga said Oct. 4 at the Warriors' practice at BYU-Hawaii. “He opened his Instagram and the first picture that popped up was about the death of Mutombo. And then I turned off the music. We just stayed silent and didn't talk to each other for a while.

“I started thinking, ‘Why? What's up? What's up?' It was bad news to hear so early. Generally bad news. It was very sad. I knew he was sick. I texted him a few months ago to check on him. I knew he was sick, but I didn’t know he was very, very sick.”

Mutombo died of brain cancer on September 30 at the age of 58. The Basketball Hall of Famer is second in NBA history behind fellow African Hakeem Olajuwon. The eight-time NBA All-Star was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year four times and his number 55 jersey was retired by the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks.

Mutombo will probably be remembered even more as a humanitarian aid worker. The NBA's first global ambassador opened a much-needed hospital and school in his hometown of Kinshasa. Mutombo also played perhaps the biggest role in convincing the NBA to create the Basketball Africa League and was a regular at BAL events.

“I knew about Mutombo before I knew about the most popular NBA players like Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) and all these other greats. My father always talked about him and he played against him when he was growing up,” said Kuminga, whose hometown of Goma is about a three-hour flight from Kinshasa. “(Mutombo) started a big hospital to help a lot of people who were looking for it. In the Congo, there wasn't the kind of hospital that had a lot of things like MRIs. The hospital was also built in his mother's name. It was great for him to do that.

“Many of my people from my hometown went to India and South Africa to get medical help. They don't have to go that far anymore. All you have to do is go to Mutombo's hospital. He also meant a lot to student-athletes (from Congo). It means everything.”

Starting as a small forward, Kuminga scored seven points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field, 7 assists and 4 rebounds in 19 minutes in the Warriors' 91-90 preseason-opening win over the LA Clippers at the University of Hawaii's Stan Sheriff Center on March 5 .October. Kuminga said Mutombo is his mentor who he usually speaks to via text message, adding that he last saw Mutombo when the Warriors played preseason games in Japan two years ago.

“The last time I saw Mutombo he said, 'Just keep going, keep working.' You will have a great future. Always remember where you come from,” Kuminga said.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has produced several NBA players including Mutombo, Kuminga, Bismack Biyombo, DJ Mbenga, Christian Eyenga, Emmanuel Mudiay and Oscar Tshiebwe. Not only does Mutombo have the most notable basketball resume, but he was also the only one to play in the NBA All-Star Game.

Kuminga has shown signs of possessing NBA All-Star talent over his last three seasons. The athletic 6-foot-1, 225-pounder averaged career-highs of 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 26.4 minutes last season. With guard Klay Thompson heading to the Dallas Mavericks in a contract trade this summer, Kuminga is expected to play a much larger role on offense alongside star Warriors guard Stephen Curry. With the 2025 NBA All-Star Game scheduled for San Francisco, Kuminga has additional motivation and an individual goal to make his first All-Star appearance this season.

“This is my path. That’s what I’ve been working towards,” Kuminga said. “I trained as much as possible, prepared my body, learned the game and worked on defense. It just depends on when we start playing now and I can show what I've been working on and how my game has developed.

“We have a different team. I'm not sure what will happen. But whatever happens, my mind is prepared for anything.”

When asked about his expectations for Kuminga, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said: “He has to continue the climb he is on. He's gotten better and better out of everyone. The 3-point shot is a big deal, especially in the modern NBA. If he is able to catch and shoot regularly, that will clear the floor for him and others.

“Defensively, we just want to keep getting better and use that athleticism, that power in a way that really impresses our opponents. “Those are the things we're focused on.”

Kuminga, who turned 22 on Sunday, is also hoping for a contract extension with the Warriors. The Warriors and Kuminga have expressed mutual interest in agreeing to an extension before the rookie extension deadline on October 21st. Kuminga is making $7.6 million in the final year of his contract and will be a restricted free agent in 2025 if an extension is not agreed to by the deadline.

“My agent will take care of it. I have to focus on what I want to achieve. The more I achieve, the more things sort themselves out,” Kuminga said.

While Mutombo is gone, there are several African basketball stars in the NBA and possible stars on the horizon.

There were 19 African-born players in the NBA last season, including Kuminga, 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and Indiana Pacers star forward Pascal Siakam. The NBA Academy Africa has also paid off recently as Duke signed center Khaman Maluach, the Toronto Raptors signed big man Ulrich Chomche and the Utah Jazz signed Babacar Sane to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Kuminga is confident that Mutombo's legacy will live on through the NBA's current and future African players.

“I'm just trying to be great here and do as much as I can,” said Kuminga, who last visited Congo after the Warriors won an NBA championship in 2022. “Mutombo did as much as he could and came back” and helped. That's what it's about. Do as much as you can, whatever it is, as long as you give back and show the rest of the people that that's the only thing that matters.

“I helped. I'm sending a few things back. Help people. Return shoes. Help specific children. I’m working on having a camp when I come back sometime and helping a few (Congolese) students here and giving them scholarships for school and training.”