4 hours ago
15
Golden State Warriors star Jonathan Kuminga found himself a little too close to team owner Joe Lacob for comfort on Tuesday night.
The forward played 25 minutes of the Warriors' 118-107 win over the Phoenix Suns, putting up nine points, five rebounds and two assists.
But the 23-year-old caught the owner's attention for an entirely different reason when he went crashing into Lacob on the sidelines.
After snatching the ball out of the air and away from the Suns' Devin Booker, Kuminga failed to take control of his momentum and went tipping into the first row of courtside seats.
Unfortunately for him, Kuminga landed right on top of the owner. However, instead of being annoyed at the intrusion, Lacob laughed the moment off.
He was caught giving his player a helpful shove up and giving him an encouraging tap on the back after he got to his feet.
Golden State Warriors star Jonathan Kuminga crashed into team owner Joe Lacob
The forward played 25 minutes of the Warriors' 118-107 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday
The 69-year-old Lacob (right) has been the principal owner of the Warriors since 2010
The incident wasn't Kuminga's first run-in this season. During Golden State's preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Kuminga made contact with and pursued an official, resulting in a $35,000 fine.
The play in question came with 0.9 seconds left in the second quarter of the Warriors' 118-111 win at Portland on October 14. Kuminga made a strong drive to the basket, and a defender hit his arm before he missed a layup.
No foul was called, and Kuminga walked over to the official to plead his case, making contact. He was issued a technical foul and ejected.
Kuminga was locked in a contract stalemate with the Warriors over the summer, which saw him miss Media Day and the first day of training camp.
He eventually agreed to a two-year contract with the Golden State Warriors in September that could be worth up to $46.5 million if the team exercises its option for 2026-27.
