"The gripes between player and organization, as multiple sources said, had become "petty" in the fifth year of a relationship many believed should've ended years before. Kerr never had much success reaching Kuminga on a deeper level, typically one of his coaching superpowers. He'd given him handwritten notes, sent long text messages, tried to connect. But Kuminga rarely reciprocated. Kuminga normally responded dispassionately and sporadically."
"In ESPN's several conversations with Kuminga over the past five years, it became increasingly clear that he viewed Kerr as the figure most responsible for holding back his career, long defined not by progression but rather inconsistency, inexplicable DNPs and tension. "Go ask the man himself," he'd say with an eye roll after a few of those no-minute or low-minute nights."
A Dec. 10 meeting between Jonathan Kuminga and Steve Kerr followed a rare schedule break after elimination from the NBA Cup. Management planned to address a missed team-requested event and complaints about food taken from the family room. The relationship had accumulated petty grievances by year five amid perceptions that the partnership should have ended earlier. Kerr attempted personal outreach with handwritten notes and long texts but struggled to connect. Kuminga viewed Kerr as limiting his progression and often reacted dispassionately to coaching. The office confrontation featured Kerr criticizing Kuminga's buy-in and competitiveness and Kuminga expressing hurt over Kerr's lack of belief.
Read at ESPN.com
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