Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga is introduced before Bay Area high school students for a screening of the new Black Panther Wakanda Forever movie hosted by Kuminga and Andre Iguodala at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND – Warriors second-year wing Jonathan Kuminga called it a “blessing” to host 600 Bay Area high school students Thursday afternoon at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland for a private screening of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Kuminga, who drove over the Bay Bridge after the Warriors practiced Thursday at the Chase Center, was bursting with excitement for the teens to arrive at the theater.
“I feel great hosting kids, coming here and watching the movie for free,” he said. “Just having them here, I’m happy to be able to do this.”
Kuminga said he didn’t experience the same outreach by community leaders as the Bay Area youngsters did Thursday when he was growing up in the Republic of Congo. That’s part of the reason why the 20-year-old feels it’s important to give back to the community he represents on the basketball court.
Kuminga was a fan of “Black Panther” and was looking forward to the sequel.
“Hopefully the second movie is going to be as fun,” he said.
The movie officially opened Friday, but public screenings across the Bay Area were scheduled for Thursday evening.
Bay Area high school students get ready to watch Black Panther Wakanda Forever movie hosted by Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga and Andre Iguodala at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Bay Area high school students watch the Black Panther Wakanda Forever movie hosted by Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga and Andre Iguodala at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Bay Area high school students arrive at Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, Calif., for a screening of the new “Black Panther Wakanda Forever” movie hosted by Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga and Andre Iguodala, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Alejandra Valencia of Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, shows off a signed jersey by Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga she won after finding a Warriors logo sticker under her seat before the screening of the new “Black Panther Wakanda Forever” movie hosted by Kuminga and Andre Iguodala at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.
Join the Conversation
We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.