As the Knicks and Timberwolves gathered for handshakes and hugs following Sunday’s preseason game, New York assistant coach Rick Brunson and Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo had to be separated from one another following a verbal exchange.
“Some words. I don’t know fully well what was said,” DiVincenzo, the ex-Knicks guard, said after the game. “A lot of people there. But I really have no comment on the situation. I think we’ll both be men and talk about it privately.”
DiVincenzo was back at Madison Square Garden for the first time since the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, which sent him from New York to Minnesota.
He got off to a strong start on Sunday, scoring nine points in the first six minutes.
At the 6:12 mark, DiVincenzo drove and hit a shot in the paint over Towns and drew a foul on the play. While at the free-throw line, DiVincenzo yelled over to the Knicks’ bench.
“I can’t finish, right Thibs?” DiVincenzo said, according to a broadcast of the game.
DiVincenzo later said that 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 was 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 there anymore. I play, I’m competitive, I wear my heart on my sleeve and that’s all it was.”
The guard didn’t comment further about the incident but DiVincenzo appeared to be yelling at Rick Brunson, a Knicks assistant coach and father of Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
Rick Brunson and DiVincenzo, presumably, 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 significant time with the Brunson family before his tenure with the Knicks.
“My relationship with Jalen – that’s my brother, my best friend. That’s a separate relationship,” DiVincenzo said when asked about Brunson. “I said I’ll talk about that privately and figure that out.”
DiVincenzo, of course, was a key piece in the Towns trade. Minnesota had coveted DiVincenzo for some time; they were aggressive in trying to sign him in 2023 free agency. I don’t think the Towns deal gets done without DiVincenzo in it.
New York had talked to Minnesota at different 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’ franchise single-season record for three-pointers made.
DiVincenzo also played a huge role in the Knicks’ ability to weather injuries to significant players and win 50 regular-season games.
Ultimately, New York obviously felt that Towns was enough of an upgrade to justify sending a package that included Julius Randle, DiVincenzo and a first-round pick to Minnesota.
Towns looked strong on Sunday, finishing with 16 points and 16 rebounds.
DiVincenzo got a long, loud ovation from the Garden crowd during pre-game introductions on Sunday. That love and appreciation is mutual, DiVincenzo says.
“My love for Knicks fans is through the roof. I’ve said it – it was one of my best years of my life playing here last year,” DiVincenzo said before the game. “It’s something you dream about doing. I didn’t plan to get traded. I didn’t sign here (in New York) thinking, ‘I’m signing a four-year deal, I hope I get traded a year in.’
“So that’s that part of it. You always got to separate the business aspect with the fans. I think the fans will always have a special place in my heart.”