So Sad: Sad News” Steph Curry’ has being fired by….

Jonathan Kuminga saw a rapid transformation from a young basketball player in his home Democratic Republic of the Congo to a student attending an American boarding school, and ultimately to a first-round draft pick and NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors. Kuminga has never seen snow before enrolling in Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia, in 2016. In a just six years, he made history as the second-youngest player to win the Larry O’Brien trophy as a rookie, at 19.

 

From Mountain Mission to the pinnacle of the basketball world, Kuminga has come a long way. He attended three different high schools and forwent college to play in the G League, a decision that gave him wisdom beyond his years. The young person has already seen and done a lot, even if he still has a long list of things he wants to do. Just refrain from inquiring as to the day of the week.

Many people (mainly Americans) would frequently inquire about if Africa is a jungle or ask absurd questions like “What is it like to be African?” Nowadays, a growing number of individuals have traveled to Africa, so they have some degree of that experience, but not many had been there when I arrived. It’s just like growing up anywhere, I told them!

It was largely the cities and how always brilliant they are, I won’t lie to you. It was like, “Oh wow,” when I arrived here. I guess I’m currently in America!

Without a doubt, that was inspired by basketball. If you are an athlete from Africa or somewhere else outside of America, you are typically recruited. They will provide you an I-20 [Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status form] to enter the country if they think you’re a good fit and your game. That’s the actual event.

Since I began playing basketball at a young age, playing in the NBA has never been one of my aspirations or goals. I never gave that much thought growing up until my sophomore year in America. Even though I was ranked and had high skill, I never set out to play in the NBA because I didn’t want to overthink my goals.

I was just a joyful child playing in Congo when I was younger. I’m not sure if I was aware of my level yet. I was merely having fun. We had some American coaches returning, and that’s when I realized, “Hey, here is my chance to go play basketball abroad and

If I’m being honest, when I first started playing basketball, my hopes and goals were never to play in the NBA. That never occurred to me as a child until my second year in America. I wasn’t focused on playing in the NBA even though I was rated and had decent skill since I didn’t want to overthink my goals.

I used to be just a joyful child playing in Congo. I haven’t determined my level yet. I was only having fun. I learned that I had the opportunity to leave my nation, go play basketball, and travel when several of our coaches were returning from America.

Without a doubt, it was the nation! I believe the adjustment was going from normal weather—not cold, just occasional rain—to freezing when I arrived in November or December. My biggest adjustment was that. Growing up, we didn’t get snow, so I was thrilled to see it here, but the cold made it serious! The toughest adjustment was attempting to blend in with the people, but I enjoyed that I was getting used to it every day.

There were a lot of Africans, Europeans, and Congolese at the school, among other nationalities. I felt more at ease because I was surrounded by individuals who were foreign nationals. Being extremely close and intimate friends with them wasn’t exactly my aim. My objective was to fast catch up, learn English, and avoid speaking any of my other languages—French, Swahili, Lingala, or any other—with those individuals. There weren’t any particularly severe cultural shocks at the period. And since I had family there, I would travel to New York whenever we had a vacation. At that point, the disparities become truly apparent.

Onion rings are one food I haven’t enjoyed since moving to America! I recall being taken to a restaurant when I first arrived, when I had to try onion rings for the first time. It didn’t appeal to me. Unable to accomplish it. It all depends on how they are prepared, but I like onions. After that, I became ill! I became ill as a result of my unfamiliarity with the new foods. For a few of days, I only consumed fruit.

Oh, dude. Absolutely everything! I missed every kind of cuisine. Even though I missed my pals, I had grown up. I separated myself from my pals after I departed, even though I missed them a little. I’m not here by accident. There is a reason I’m here. I can’t even begin to consider who I left behind. After all, I did just leave my folks! I didn’t really think about them every day since it really throws you off to think about the individuals you left behind. I believe I was more mature than many children my age because of this. After you move out of your parents’ house, you feel like anything is possible.

I wanted to bring the trophy, and I did, but there were some logistical issues. Something like that was going on in Congo with some meat. As you mentioned, a large number of individuals are genuinely unaware of the situation in Africa. Everyone developed a fear of venturing outside. Some team members, who were Americans, expressed fear due to the ongoing war, but we made an effort to reassure them that our destination was far from that. I went alone since I didn’t want to bother myself with it.

I brought the trophy because I wanted to, but there were some practical problems. In Congo, something similar was happening with certain beef. Many people are very ignorant of the situation in Africa, as you pointed out. Everybody started to fear going outside. We tried to reassure our American teammates who were afraid because of the conflict, but they were mistaken. Our goal was distant from that. I didn’t want to concern myself with it, so I went alone.

Not African, but I’ve found some food from Africa. There is Nigerian cuisine nearby. My folks currently reside in Orlando, so that’s the only occasion I get to eat Congolese food.

Simply put, I was thrilled to be in the NBA! I was eager to get outside and start working. I was excited to play every top player. While there are some things we take for granted, I always get thrilled to play alongside Stephen Curry and either LeBron or KD. Since I grew up watching those guys, it’s a pleasure and a dream come true. I’ll start wishing I had done this or that when those people are no longer here.

When you get onto the court, basketball takes center stage. I have no idea who I’m portraying. It is irrelevant who it is. Kobe would be the player I would be most excited to play, but he had already retired.

Really, I’m a pretty chill person. Many things don’t surprise me at all. For me, being different is normal. I never think, “Oh my gosh!” I had traveled to Miami and New York on numerous occasions. Since I had visited many of the cities I liked before joining the NBA, there wasn’t really one that particularly impressed me.

Really, I’m a pretty chill person. Many things don’t surprise me at all. For me, being different is normal. I never think, “Oh my gosh!” I had traveled to Miami and New York on numerous occasions. Since I had visited many of the cities I liked before joining the NBA, there wasn’t really one that particularly impressed me.

What about the ones you didn’t like right away?
Milwaukee truly doesn’t appeal to me. It was really cold when we went the last time. Very chilly! There isn’t much to do in Detroit. I hardly leave the motel room, Memphis. There are just several cities. Many of them aren’t all that good! Act

Are you still fond of hotels, or has this become stale?
Sometimes it becomes monotonous or irritating. We travel far more than the average individual does. About forty times a year, you spend all of your time in hotels. We’ll be spending five to seven days in hotels while on a road vacation. At that point, you truly want to go home since it is so annoying.

What amenities do you like to have in a hotel room?
You must always have food on hand. You can’t sleep in an uncomfortable bed and then go play, so the bed needs to be comfy. Your back will ache! Comfort and snacks. On game days, I attempt to take a nap. That’s not what I did my first year. The previous year, I began napping prior to the

straight after the warm-up.

Do you frequently order room service?
It’s hardly often, but when I do, it’s always just milk and cookies.

Really? Most suggest salmon, Caesar salad, or something similar.
No, that’s not how I roll. More milk and cookies, please.

Outside of the NBA, where are some of your favorite places you’ve visited?
Say South Africa, I would. This summer, I was there. It was my first time visiting Milan, and it was enjoyable. I traveled to Spain a few years ago—well, pretty much anywhere outside of America. Without a doubt, you must leave America as soon as you can.

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