By Brian Murphy
Dos Equis beer returned ‘The Most Interesting Man in the World’ to our TV sets during the Indiana-Miami College Football Playoff, a welcome blast.
“Stay thirsty, my friends” are four words we can live by.
And what a coincidence — the Warriors just returned “The Most
Frustrating and Intriguing Warrior in The World” to our lives the same week.
“Stay frustrated and intrigued by Kuminga, my friends” are eight words that we have to live by.
The turn of events Monday at Joe Lacob’s house o’ fun down in Thrive City the same night as the return of the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man was almost too dark to be believed. Jimmy Butler leaps to catch a contested entry pass from Brandin Podziemski. He lands. His knee wobbles, and he falls.
It didn’t take having two 49ers courtside that night to recognize an anterior cruciate ligament when you see one. Someone might want to check any nearby power substations in Dogpatch.
Just like that, a fading dynasty — Steve Kerr’s words, not mine — faded to black. Roll credits on the four-title Warrior run.
Unless . . .
Like Dos Equis’ hero, who gets helicoptered out of his mundane life after suffering amnesia, Jonathan Kuminga helicopters in and saves the Warriors season?
Oh boy.
I can’t believe I am even Jock Blogging about this topic.
But this is where we are, sports fans. Kuminga is the screamingly obvious Warrior to step into Butler’s void.
Butler is more of a swing man through whom the Warriors can run an offense. Kuminga is more of a ball-stopper through whom an offense can screech to a halt. Understood.
But there are gobs of minutes now available, and with those minutes, Kuminga can save everything: the Warriors’ chances to win games, the Warriors’ chances to stay in the playoff hunt, his name, his reputation, his trade value. Everything.
And with Steve Kerr perhaps riding off into the sunset after this season? Who knows — maybe Kuminga can carve himself a spot into a post-Kerr future in Golden State?
That may be a huge stretch. Let’s get back to the fact that Kuminga has demanded a trade, and wants out. This led to Mike Dunleavy’s quote of the year thus far — “when you make a demand, there needs to be a demand”. Perhaps the opportunity for Kuminga now let him play good basketball, increase his demand. It can be a demand-a-palooza.
There are issues, of course: Chris Haynes of NBA TV reports that Kuminga wants out, pronto. His exact words were that Kuminga has “no desire” to stay a Warrior.
And then Kuminga tweaked a knee and ankle Thursday night in Dallas, delaying matters.
Still, this has whiffs of the Jimmy Garoppolo situation with the 49ers after the NFC Championship loss in the 2021 season. All but ticketed out of town, Jimmy G told the Bay Area media: “it’s been a hell of a ride, guys — see ya” . . . only to return to the team in the summer, work out on side fields in anonymity, and *return to be QB1* after Trey Lance went down early in 2022. Wild tale.
This was all well before we learned to spell the word “irrelevant”.
Jimmy G and Kuminga by the Bay —sound familiar? (Hat tip, Paulie Mac.)
The Warriors may trade Kuminga by Feb. 5. They may not. Kuminga may help the Warriors go on an unexpected run. He may not.
Right now, he’s the Most Interesting Warrior in the World.
Stay frustrated and intrigued by Kuminga, my friends.
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