G League Ignite Shutdown: Jonathan Kuminga Left His Family To Learn What College Couldn’t Teach Him in 2020

Amidst the March Madness that’s going on, NBA players have their eyes glued to the TVs to see how their alma maters are performing this year. But there’s one player who is right now witnessing the takedown of the bridge that led him to the NBA. Yes, Jonathan Kuminga must be heartbroken to learn the G League’s Ignite is shutting down after this season, as confirmed by League sources.

The NBA announced shocking news on Thursday. A platform for elite prospects and veterans to develop their skills, the G League Ignite was launched in 2020. In the short time it worked, the G League has provided quite several talented players like Jonathan Kuminga, Jalen Green, Daishen Nix, and more.

Jonathan Kuminga credits G League Ignite for his success

And Kuminga couldn’t be more grateful to the organization for everything he learned. In an interview in 2020, the current Warriors forward said, “[college doesn’t] teach you how to become a professional and that’s what you need.” This was a piece of advice that he got from Michael Beasley when he was confused between college and G League.

Having played against bigger players in high school, Kuminga couldn’t wait to finish high school. To expedite the process, he attended online classes. But after graduating, he was in a dilemma – whether to go the college route or the G League. It was a time when almost everyone was talking about the glories of taking the latter path, including Isaiah Todd, a member of the Ignite and someone he considered his brother.

And that’s when turned to experienced players. Kuminga was training with NBA veterans like James Harden, Tyler Herro, and Beasley in Miami when he asked for their advice. Beasley’s words, though, made the most impact on the young Congolese man.

Commissioner Silver was uncertain about Ignite’s future

The Athletic broke the sad news early Thursday, and NBA G League Ignite President Shareef Abdur-Rahim soon confirmed it. The G League had begun as a chance for high school prospects to earn some money while preparing for an NBA career without attending college. But with the NCAA’s NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) policy, young athletes don’t need to forego college education while still earning.

When he was talking about the G League’s future in the All-Star Weekend last month, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver drew attention to this fact. “I’m not sure what the future of Team Ignite will be because before I felt there was a hole in the marketplace we were filling. Now my focus is turning to earlier development of those players.”

Anyway, for the years that it ran, the G League Ignite had produced some top talents. But all good things must come to an end or make way for better developments. And we can consider this to fall in the latter category.

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