What led to Jonathan Cumminga’s historic debut for Atlanta

ATLANTA – In 24 minutes of play, everyone was reminded of what Jonathan Kuminga can do when is given the opportunity to play.

Athleticism. Driving downhill. Selflessness.

Forget about all the things that happened in his last months traded by the Golden State Warriors. Kuminga has always had the skills to make an impact in a win, but at some point he hasn’t been given much of a chance to do so. He will be able to do that with the Hawks, and he showed that in his debut against the Washington Wizards.

His first shot came in transition, as he got around his defender and drove into the lane for a layup. His next move was a dunk in transition. From there, he got into the groove and started knocking down 3-pointers over the guards.

Jonathan Cumminga’s first bucket as a Hawk! pic.twitter.com/kI2hhDBrJ2

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 25, 2026

Kuminga finished the game with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists. No Hawk has ever finished a debut with 25+ points in less than 30 minutes.

“I got confidence from my teammates,” Kuminga told reporters after the game. “They told me not to worry about anything. Just go out there and be you. Everything will fall apart. I just had so many people in my ear telling me to go be you, go play basketball. The first two minutes I was just thinking about it, but after that everything was cool.”

Head coach Quin Snyder always talks about the fundamentals the Hawks need to do to win. Pass the ball, defend and run. Kuminga achieved all those standards in his debut.

“The things we talked about as a team were obviously in focus, Snyder said. “The passing game, which you’ve heard me talk about since October, and he really showed it right up to the point where I told him it was OK to shoot. But he let himself into the game, how he bonded with his teammates, and he just let the game come to him. Which I think shows a lot of maturity on his part and how he feels about the group.”

His teammates have raved about playing with him in recent days, and he has not disappointed them. All four of his assists came in the first quarter, and there were several times when he could have taken an open shot but sent the extra pass instead.

“The other person that’s going to pressure the rim, let them get in the paint,” Nickeil Alexander-Walker said. “His willingness to come through and just fit into the system. He had fun with everybody. He was always locked in and loud the whole game, so it was cool for him to come out and do that.”

With all the noise surrounding Kuminga, he easily shut down every rumor and every negative report about him in one night. If there were a stat for smiles, Kuminga would lead the night in that category.

“People who really know me, all my teeth are out. I stay smiling, I smile all the time,” Kuminga said. “Being with the guys, I’ve formed a bond with them since I got here. Good people, good team. We all want to win. Winning comes with joy, so as long as we’re all having fun out there and enjoying ourselves, that’s going to help us win.”

It was just the beginning, but it was a good start for Kuminga. For people to truly thrive, they just need a change of scenery to become the best version of themselves. It sounds like that’s what Kuminga needed, and he may be with a team that can help him get to where he wants to go in his career.

Kuminga isn’t going to score 27 points in 24 minutes every game. He won’t have 12 shot attempts. He knows it, but all he’s focused on is winning.

“It doesn’t matter if I go out and hit two shots, Kuminga said. “As long as it affects us to win, that’s all that really matters.”