Jonathan Kuminga’s next chapter, and why it’s embraced by the Hawks, Atlanta

ATLANTA — Popularity for post-win celebrations at home games has risen rapidly around the NBA recently, while the Warriors have remained more traditional. The Sacramento Kings “light the beam” by pushing a big purple button that essentially shoots a purple laser sky-high outside the arena. The San Antonio Spurs this season have brought out a “Go Spurs Go” drum to the middle of the floor for a player to bang on. The Houston Rockets now press a red launch button that makes smoke come out the bottom of the scoreboard, and the Oklahoma City Thunder try to make team-wide postgame interviews a thing instead of having the shine be on one single player. Darian Morgan, better known as Big Tigger for his radio and TV personality, brings his own style to celebrating wins in Atlanta. Big Tigger is the DJ at Atlanta Falcons games and PA announcer at Atlanta Hawks games. He interviews a Hawks player after every home win and knew he’d have Jonathan Kuminga on the microphone after the former Warrior’s impressive team debut one month ago when he scored 27 points off the bench in 24-plus minutes. Only Kuminga had no idea what was coming when Big Tigger asked him if anyone had taught him the Hawks’ bird call yet? Then came a big smile and an even bigger “Ca-Caw&excl;” from Kuminga. “I wanted it to be two-fold,” Big Tigger told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I wanted to introduce him in a cool way to the audience, to the fans, and I also wanted him to feel immediately at home. It’s a fun thing we do from time to time postgame after a win. I knew nobody told him about it. I knew it would catch him off guard. “I knew it’d be fun, and it was.” View this post on Instagram The latter part of Big Tigger’s reasoning has been most important in Kuminga’s transition from the Warriors to the Hawks after being traded, along with Buddy Hield, on Feb. 4 for Kristaps Porziis. Kuminga has been embraced by all avenues of the Hawks and Atlanta alike as the newest young and exciting player for a new era of basketball in the ATL. He turned heads and caused uproar on social media when Kuminga in his first three games, with the first two being against the Washington Wizards, averaged 21.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals while going 21 of 31 from the field and 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Kuminga’s knee issue then flared up and he missed three straight games. In his return, he scored two and nine points his next two games on a combined 2-of-11 shooting against the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic. Hawks coach Quin Snyder, sources say, called Kuminga the morning after his game against the Magic with one message before they flew to Dallas: I just need you to go be you. Just go play. Just go and be you.“Everybody just gives him so much belief and positivity,” Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, says. The next day, Kuminga led the Hawks’ bench with 16 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting in a 15-point win over the Mavericks. Kuminga was a plus-10 and also had five rebounds, three assists and one steal in just 18 minutes and 25 seconds. That was a game Demond Thomas surely wasn’t going to miss. In fact, he’d never miss a Hawks game that’s in Dallas or San Antonio. Hawks fans know Thomas as Tone Gully on X, and as the host of “We Talk Hawks TV” on YouTube. He’s easily the biggest Hawks fan in Texas and one of the biggest voices of the fanbase anywhere. And his excitement could be heard through the screen following Kuminga’s debut. Right before the trade had been announced, Thomas was wrapping up his trade deadline show on YouTube. He sprinted to get back on and could barely contain himself about the news. In Dallas, Thomas sat right behind the Hawks’ bench and had his son wear his favorite new purchase. “First thing I did, first chance I got, ordered my Kuminga jersey,” Thomas said. “Matter of fact, my son wore my Kuminga jersey to the game. He was wearing my Kuminga Peach Tree jersey.” From Thomas’ fan vantage point, he saw Kuminga constantly talking to his new teammates like a vet that’s only 23 years old. He saw Kuminga on the bike smiling, talking and laughing with Hawks fans who traveled. “The chemistry I see from these guys is crazy,” he says.Then there are the highlights that always have opened people’s imagination. “I call him a young Dominique,” Thomas says, referencing Hawks Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins. There’s a high level of excitement to Kuminga’s addition as Hawks fans move on from Trae Young and welcome Jalen Johnson, Kuminga and Co. leading the next wave. Johnson is the NBA’s biggest breakout star of the 2025-26 season at 24 years old, not even a year older than Kuminga. Dyson Daniels just turned 23, Zaccharie Risacher is about to turn 21, Onyeka Okongwu is 25 and Nickeil Alexander-Walker has taken a massive leap at 27 in his first season with the Hawks. “Atlanta is extremely excited to have a person of that type of talent level,” Big Tigger says of Kuminga. “He’s still fighting through an injury, but we’re excited about what it is and what it’s going to be. My own little personal interactions with him, I think he’s good guy. He seems like a good dude. If the plan is for him and Jalen Johnson to grow up together and be a dynamic duo around all the other pieces that we have and could add, there’s definitely a bright future. “I think that would be awesome. If we hold onto that group for three years, and who’s to say if we add somebody in free agency or the draft, there’s a lot of potential. All things considered, if they’re all healthy and they’re all here, the more you can play and learn about each other – yeah, I hope we can keep that core together.” The Hawks also have CJ McCollum’s &dollar;30.7 million expiring contract at their disposal and own an unprotected first-round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans this year that should give them another big-time prospect. The seeds are there for Kuminga to now be part of a timeline that fits his needs. Though Kuminga and Turner had their basketball differences with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Turner acknowledges his client’s years of playing in Kerr’s system have him well suited for a team like the Hawks, who lead the league in assists per game. And staying in that system for the long haul is something both sides are eyeing. Sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area that Kuminga and the Hawks have mutual interest in ripping up his &dollar;24.3 million team option this summer to come to terms on a long-term extension. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line was first to report the news.“I think it makes sense for both sides,” one source said. Kuminga now has played eight games for the Hawks as he continues to manage his knee. So far, he’s averaging 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game with a 52.2 field goal percentage, which all are increased numbers from his stats as a Warrior this season. The Hawks also are 8-0 when he plays. “We’ve asked him to do the same thing we want all our guys to do: Defend and run. I think he’s embraced that. He’s done an excellent job,” Snyder said ahead of the Hawks’ game against the Warriors on March 21. “It’s really not been about his offense, which is good. He’s given us a lift defensively. I think his energy has been really good and he’s been a boost for our team when he’s been able to play.” Those asks from Snyder are very much the same as what was asked of Kuminga during his Warriors tenure. Only Kuminga much of the time felt like a scapegoat who was held back and unable to be himself on an older team. Kerr used Shawn Marion, a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, and Aaron Gordon, a champion with the Denver Nuggets who has morphed his game for the better after having to be the go-to guy in Orlando, as examples for Kuminga to lean into. But having comparisons at all became a slight to Kuminga and put him in a box instead of letting him free. The Warriors even made a highlight clip of the two players for Kuminga to see what it could do for his game. That didn’t work. “Could you imagine if we had this guy?” A source who saw the video said. The highly-anticipated Kuminga Bowl against the Warriors last Saturday in Atlanta became a forgotten dud. The injury-depleted Warriors were dominated in the second half, but not because of Kuminga, who scored two points on 1-of-9 shooting all game. His stats, nor his years with the Warriors, were on Kuminga’s mind after a blowout Hawks win where he felt plenty of love from former coaches and teammates. “I have no doubt that us as a group can go as far as we want,” Kuminga said. “I feel great about where I’m at with them.” The next game, Kuminga bounced back and was a plus-21 off the bench in a 39-point win against the Memphis Grizzlies, a game where he scored 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Hawks fans are starving for success and many believe Kuminga can be a main piece in bringing playoff basketball for good to Atlanta. Big Tigger sees a situation like the Oklahoma City Thunder brewing where Johnson in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kuminga is his co-star. Thomas can feel the excitement of a Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown pairing in Boston. The embrace was hard to ignore, whether it was from the two of them or Terry, the sweet woman sitting next to me in a Hawks Magic City hoodie at Waffle House. It became crystal clear that the Warriors Chapter in the Book of Jonathan Kuminga needed to have its final period and come to a close. Kuminga has picked up his pen and begun writing his next Hawks chapter, with many hopeful blank pages in front of him. Change in basketball and life can be needed and necessary. To let go and let live should be refreshing for every party involved, too.Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Jonathan Kuminga’s next chapter, and why it’s embraced by the Hawks, Atlanta

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