Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga, after all, will appear in the 2022 Rising Stars event.
Kuminga is replacing Pacers guard Chris Duarte, who is out with a toe injury, the team announced Wednesday.
The new Rising Stars format features four teams comprised of 28 players — 12 rookies, 12 second-year players and four G League Ignite prospects. The Ignite is a developmental team with college-aged players that plays exhibition games against G League opponents.
Kuminga will now play on Team Payton alongside LaMelo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu and Scottie Barnes, among others. The four teams compete in a three-game tournament on Feb. 18 in Cleveland.
Many fans, particularly in the Bay Area, were surprised that Kuminga didn’t initially get invited to the Rising Stars event. Klay Thompson, too, recently expressed his shock at a postgame press conference.
The rookie is averaging 7.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game. He’s had three 20-point nights and has joined GSW’s starting lineup for the past three games.
In the past two weeks, Kuminga has defended LeBron James, looked like a potentially dominant screener in high pick-and-rolls and made windmill dunks look casual.
Despite playing limited minutes, the former No. 7 overall pick has put together an impressive catalog of high-flying dunks and other electric plays.
Kuminga now joins Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Juan Toscano-Anderson as Warriors participating in All-Star Weekend. The latter three are making their All-Star debuts, with Wiggins earning his first All-Star selection and Toscano-Anderson competing in the dunk contest.