Jonathan Kuminga


Jonathan Kuminga is a Congolese professional basketball player for the G League Select Team. A consensus five-star recruit and the top small forward in the 2020 class, he chose to forgo his college eligibility to join the G League Select Team. Kuminga finished his high school career at The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey.

Early life

Kuminga began playing basketball in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the age of two. In 2016, he moved to the United States to play high school basketball.

High school career

As a freshman, Kuminga played basketball for Huntington Prep School in Huntington, West Virginia. For his sophomore season, he transferred to Our Savior New American School in Centereach, New York and averaged 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game. In January 2019, Kuminga was named most valuable player of the Slam Dunk to the Beach showcase after scoring 40 points, a single-game record at the event, in a loss to Gonzaga College High School. He earned MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year honors. After the season, Kuminga averaged 20.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the NY Rens at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, facing many players older than him. He scored 43 points, shooting 7-of-11 from three-point range, against the Texas Titans, a team featuring top recruits Cade Cunningham and Greg Brown.
For his junior season, Kuminga transferred to The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey. On 23 December 2019, he made his season debut, scoring 20 points in a win over Roselle Catholic High School, after having been ruled ineligible for 30 days by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association due to transfer rules. On 3 January 2020, Kuminga suffered an ankle sprain that sidelined him for about one month. As a junior, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

Recruiting

As a high school sophomore, Kuminga emerged as one of the best recruits in the 2021 class, with most recruiting services ranking him number one in his class by the time he was a junior. On 15 July 2020, he reclassified to the 2020 class and announced that he would bypass college basketball to join the G League Select Team over offers from Texas Tech, Auburn, Duke and Kentucky, among other college programs. At the end of his high school career, he was a consensus five-star recruit and the best small forward in the 2020 class. He was considered the third-best player in his class by Rivals.com and the fourth-best by 247Sports.com and ESPN.

Professional career

On 16 July 2020, Kuminga signed a one-year contract with the NBA G League and joined the G League Select Team as a part of the league's new developmental program operating outside its traditional team structure.

Personal life

Kuminga's older brother, Joel Ntambwe, played college basketball for UNLV before transferring to Texas Tech in 2019. Two of his cousins play professional basketball: Emmanuel Mudiay in the NBA, and Omari Gudul in Europe. Kuminga's first language is French, and he is continuing to learn English.