Jonathan Kuminga’s debut for the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday was nothing short of a statement. But some claim he made a different one.  Scoring a season-high 27 points in just 24 minutes, the 23-year-old forward looked like the burgeoning star Golden State Warriors fans had spent years waiting for. However, as his highlights went viral, a separate storm began brewing on social media.

An alleged Instagram Story from Kuminga that appeared to directly call out his former coach and organization. The post in question, which began circulating shortly after Atlanta’s 119-98 victory over Trae Young and the Washington Wizards, allegedly showed Kuminga celebrating his performance with a caption, “Sh*t about to get scary👀. Warriors damn messed up😤.”

The post was supposedly deleted almost immediately after it went up. But not before screenshots made it on the Internet. However, it appears the screenshots are fabricated and JK took no such shot at his team.

Kuminga has been quietly posting highlights from his Hawks debut without any captions. After the trade deadline, he’s not taken any shots at his former team. He’s even called out some news reports about alleged bitterness between him and Steve Kerr.

Jonathan Kuminga’s real statement about the Warriors

These screengrabs were meant to hint that his talents were finally being seen and he was no longer ‘held hostage’ in the Bay. While the screenshot sparked immediate outrage among Warriors fans and celebration among Hawks supporters, there’s no credible source confirming it.

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In fact, Kuminga’s actual public comments following the game were remarkably measured and professional. When asked directly by reporters if he was trying to send a message to Golden State, Kuminga demurred, saying, “I wouldn’t call it a statement. Everybody has an opinion. I really don’t pay attention to what anyone else is saying. We’re trying to win as many games as we can here. That’s my main focus.”

It’s understandable why everyone’s keen on JK calling out the Warriors outright. The friction that preceded Kuminga’s and Buddy Hield’s trade to Atlanta for center Kristaps Porzingis is well documented. Kuminga had been phased out of Steve Kerr’s rotation for two seasons. He had appeared in only seven of his final 38 games with the Warriors, leading to a public trade demand.

Fans wanted Kerr to feel accountable for wasting JK’s talent after his Hawks debut. Yet the Kuminga has seemingly moved on and doesn’t need to make a point.