Even Barack Obama once asked Warriors’ Steve Kerr about Jonathan Kuminga

At points over the past several years, the Golden State Warriors were not discussed so much for Stephen Curry or Draymond Green, but for Jonathan Kuminga and his ‘cold war' with Steve Kerr.Kuminga, who the Warriors drafted in the midst of their ‘two-timelines' pipe dream, had an acrimonious relationship with Kerr, the longtime Golden State coach. The major sticking point was the lack of consistent playing time for Kuminga; after watching his minutes rise year-over-year during his first three seasons in the NBA, peaking at 26.3 minutes per game in 2023-24, Kuminga's minutes dropped to 24.3 per game the following season, and he began to be left out of the rotation entirely by Kerr.Before their eventual split — Golden State traded Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks before this year's trade deadline — the situation even caught the attention of former President Barack Obama, a noted basketball fan.“During the summer Kerr went to Aspen to speak at a conference,” ESPN's Wright Thompson wrote. “Columnist Thomas Friedman invited him to a small dinner party. Kerr arrived and went out onto the deck for cocktail hour overlooking the mountains. Then Obama arrived, security in tow. He made a line for Kerr.“‘Coach!' he said, and almost before Kerr could respond, he asked, ‘What's gonna happen with Kuminga?'”Nothing and a lot happened, as Kuminga reluctantly re-signed with the Warriors, playing sparingly but remaining a constant source of conversation until his trade.Meanwhile, Kerr seemed like he was on the way out just a few months later, with his contract expiring after one of the worst seasons he has presided over since becoming the Warriors' head coach in 2014. However, two days ago, Kerr and the organization finalized a two-year deal.In his 12 years with Golden State, Kerr has four NBA championships and a 604-353 record.At points over the past several years, the Golden State Warriors were not discussed so much for Stephen Curry or Draymond Green, but for Jonathan Kuminga and his ‘cold war' with Steve Kerr. Kuminga, who the Warriors drafted in the midst of their ‘two-timelines' pipe dream, had an acrimonious relationship with Kerr, the longtime Golden State coach.