Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t hold back from voicing his honest reaction over his team’s rising star, Jonathan Kuminga, getting ejected during the preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday at Moda Center in Oregon.
While the Warriors won the contest 118-111, Kuminga was ejected from the game for getting right in the referee’s face to argue a foul that went against him. The Congolese played 18 minutes of the contest, scored seven points, dished out six assists, and registered five rebounds before being ejected with 0.9 seconds to play in the first half.
What Did Steve Kerr Say About Jonathan Kuminga’s Ejection Against the Trailblazers?
During the post-game press conference, Kerr was asked several questions about Kuminga’s ejection. The Warriors HC said, “He got fouled, I just, it was a frustration play. I have no problem with it. I mean, he deserved the foul; he was getting fouled quite a bit.”
He added, “It was a physical game, and the way he ran on that play, the activity that he played with, the rebounding, he had six boards in one half, 17 minutes, that’s the JK who can really help our team. And I love the way he played, I love the fire, the passion. I don’t mind the ejection at all, I kind of liked it actually. So, I thought JK was terrific.”
Furthermore, Kerr explained the situation of the Congolese’s ejection from the game, stating that if you went that close to a referee’s face while protesting, you were bound to get tossed out of the game. The HC also voiced his excitement over Kuminga’s progress and the efforts that he was putting in the training camp.
Kerr said, “I wasn’t surprised he got ejected, because he kind of got right in Rodney’s face. And you can’t do that, they’re gonna eject you if you do that. But like I said, I like the fire, I like the energy that he played with, the emotion. I think JK is having an excellent camp. And I’m excited about how he looks.”
Kuminga Fined for His Actions
On Thursday, the NBA announced that it had penalized Kuminga for his inappropriate behavior toward a referee and for wrongly pursuing a referee after he was ejected from Wednesday’s preseason game against the Trail Blazers.
The NBA is fining Jonathan Kuminga $35,000 for making inappropriate contact with a referee and pursuing a referee during his ejection from Tuesday’s Warriors-Trail Blazers preseason game.
He was upset at this no-call on this play:pic.twitter.com/mbmLWc1h55
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 16, 2025
The NBA has fined the Congolese $35,000 for his irresponsible actions. The Warriors will play their last preseason game on Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center before traveling to LA to take on the Lakers in Staples Center on the new season’s opening night.