Like the Knicks and the Timberwolves gathered for handshakes and hugs after Sunday’s preseason game, New York assistant coach Rick Brunson and Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo had to be separated following a verbal exchange.
“A few words. I’m not sure what was said,” DiVincenzo, the former Knicks guard, said after the game. “Lots of people there. But I really have no comment on the situation. I think we will both be men and talk about it in private.
DiVincenzo was back at Madison Square Garden for the first time since THE Cities of Karl-Anthony tradewho sent him from New York to Minnesota.
He got off to a good start on Sunday, scoring nine points in the first six minutes.
At 6:12, DiVincenzo drove and fired a shot into the paint over Towns and fouled the play. While at the free throw line, DiVincenzo yelled toward the bench. Knicks.
“I can’t finish, can I Thibs?” DiVincenzo said, according to a broadcast of the match.
DiVincenzo later said he was joking with his former head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“I was talking to Thibs. I didn’t say anything about the trade, and that’s it,” he said.
DiVincenzo could also be heard yelling, “That’s what happens when they let you run the show,” while at the free throw line.
Asked about that comment after the game, DiVincenzo said, “Obviously they have me on video saying it. And I’m not here anymore. I play, I’m competitive, I have my heart on my sleeve and that’s it.
The guard did not comment further on the incident, but DiVincenzo appeared to be yelling at Rick Brunson, a Knicks assistant coach and father of the Knicks star. Jalen Brunson.
Rick Brunson and DiVincenzo likely know each other well as he played at Villanova with Jalen and the two formed a close friendship off the court as he was a groomsman at the younger Brunson’s wedding.
So I think it’s fair to assume that DiVincenzo spent a lot of time with the Brunson family before his tenure with the Knicks.
“My relationship with Jalen – he’s my brother, my best friend. It’s a separate relationship,” DiVincenzo said when asked about Brunson. “I said I would talk about it privately and find a solution.”
DiVincenzo, of course, was a key player in the Towns trade. Minnesota had coveted DiVincenzo for some time; they have been aggressive in trying to sign him in free agency in 2023. I don’t think the Towns deal gets done without DiVincenzo.
New York had spoken with Minnesota at various points in the offseason about a potential trade and was hesitant to include DiVincenzo.
The guard was coming off one of his best NBA seasons last year and he set the Knicks’ single-season franchise record for three-pointers made.
DiVincenzo also played a huge role in the Knicks’ ability to overcome injuries to key players and win 50 regular season games.
In the end, New York obviously felt that Towns was enough of an upgrade to warrant sending a package that included Julius RandleDiVincenzo and a first-round pick to Minnesota.
Towns looked solid on Sunday, finishing with 16 points and 16 rebounds.
DiVincenzo had time, loud ovation from the garden crowd during pre-match presentations on Sunday. That love and appreciation is mutual, DiVincenzo says.
“My love for Knicks fans is through the roof. I said it was one of the best years of my life playing here last year,” DiVincenzo said before the game. “It’s something you dream of doing. I never had not expected to be traded I didn’t sign here (New York) thinking, ‘I’m signing a four-year deal, I hope to be traded in a year.’
“So that’s part of the problem. You always have to separate the business from the fans. I think the fans will always have a special place in my heart.”
