Lou Williams playfully welcomes Jonathan Kuminga to Atlanta, hinting at the unique — and delicious — opportunities awaiting the young star after his Warriors exit.
Jonathan Kuminga hasn’t logged a minute yet for the Atlanta Hawks, but he’s already received a uniquely Atlanta welcome.
Days after the Golden State Warriors traded the 23-year-old forward in a package for Kristaps Porziņģis, former Hawks guard Lou Williams offered a humorous take on Kuminga’s new beginning — and the reports surrounding his departure from Golden State.
In the days following the trade, reports surfaced suggesting tensions between Kuminga and the Warriors had escalated beyond on-court disagreements. One particularly eyebrow-raising claim alleged that Golden State had informed Kuminga that someone in his family or group was taking too much food from the team’s family room — a detail that quickly made the rounds online.
During Friday’s episode of Run It Back, Williams leaned into the moment with a playful message aimed directly at the young forward.
“Chandler and I have both played for the Atlanta Hawks,” Williams said, referencing co-host Chandler Parsons. “The food is amazing in the back…and if you can’t get your food in the back, I know a place.”
The comment drew laughs on set and quickly circulated across social media, especially given Williams’ well-documented connection to Atlanta nightlife. In 2020, during the league’s COVID-19 restart, Williams was briefly sidelined after visiting Magic City in Atlanta to pick up lemon pepper wings — a trip that led to a 10-day quarantine and the enduring nickname “Lemon Pepper Lou.” The club later leaned into the moment by naming a wing flavor after him.
Beyond the humor, the exchange underscores just how different Kuminga’s environment now appears to be.
His tenure with Golden State had grown increasingly strained over multiple seasons, including reported frustration about role, minutes and long-term opportunity under coach Steve Kerr. The trade effectively closed the book on that chapter, sending Kuminga to a franchise recalibrating around youth and versatility.
Atlanta sits at 26-30 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, navigating a transitional phase after moving on from Trae Young and Luke Kennard. The Hawks are leaning into a younger core headlined by Jalen Johnson, who is averaging 23.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
Kuminga, originally drafted seventh overall in 2021, aligns with that timeline. He is in the first year of a two-year, $46.8 million contract that includes a team option for 2026-27, giving Atlanta flexibility as it evaluates its developing roster.
On the court this season prior to the trade, Kuminga averaged 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds — a career high — and 2.5 assists, also a career best, in 23.8 minutes per game. He shot 45.4% from the field and 32.1% from 3-point range across 20 appearances.
He has yet to debut for the Hawks as he manages a bone bruise in his left knee.
Still, the tone surrounding his arrival has been notably lighter than the circumstances of his exit.
If Williams’ welcome is any indication, Kuminga won’t have to worry about food in Atlanta.
And after a “drawn-out and ugly” end in Golden State, a little levity might be exactly what the forward needs as he begins the next chapter of his career.