Jonathan Kuminga made a surprise start for the Golden State Warriors for Saturday's Game 3 matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Taking the place of the injured Gary Payton II, Kuminga just set an NBA record with his first career playoff start.
At just 19 years and 213 days, the Warriors rookie has now become the youngest player in league history to ever start a game in the postseason (h/t Bleacher Report on Twitter):
Stock just went up for Kuminga 📈 pic.twitter.com/U3yRXytfjl
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) May 8, 2022
Not even the great LeBron James could reach this mark despite the fact that he was drafted out of high school. Even though he took the league by storm as soon as he arrived, it wasn't until Year 3 that LeBron was able to lead the Cavs to the playoffs. James was already 21 when he started his first postseason game.
Obviously, LeBron and Kuminga are in two different classes. However, the fact that Warriors coach Steve Kerr has so much trust in his young stud speaks volumes of Kuminga's bright future.
Kuminga got the start in the place of Payton, who himself has been sidelined due to injury. It remains to be seen if Kuminga's promotion to the Warriors' starting lineup is going to be a permanent move by coach Kerr.
Follow Us
Subscribe