Sunday night was the first time that Donte DiVincenzo faced his old team, the New York Knicks, after being thrown into the shocking Karl-Anthony Towns trade. And let me tell you, DiVincenzo, now with the Minnesota Timberwolves, did not seem remotely interested in holding back any ill feelings over his life being uprooted just days before Knicks training camp.
It started with DiVincenzo appearing to trash-talk Tom Thibodeau while shooting free throws. The guard was seen jawing at Thibodeau, with some incorrectly assuming it was about his trade from New York.
As DiVincenzo clarified after the game, he was actually rhetorically asking Thibodeau about whether he could finish at the rim, a criticism he apparently heard during his Knicks stint:
“Thank you for the trade Thibs. Thank you for the trade… that’s what happens when they let you run the show. That’s what happens when they let you run the show” pic.twitter.com/9F8LD8YRLI
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) October 13, 2024
Donte DiVincenzo says that he was not talking to Tom Thibodeau about being traded to the Timberwolves when he yelled towards the Knicks' bench during the game tonight: pic.twitter.com/SfMNclGOhv
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 14, 2024
But the real incident — where DiVincenzo said he was NOT joking — came with assistant coach Rick Brunson, the father of Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
DiVincenzo and Brunson were caught in a heated argument on the postgame court where they actually had to be separated by other Timberwolves and Knicks players. It was not clear what was said between them:
Donte and Rick Brunson had to be separated… pic.twitter.com/ylnxM8cSCT
— Omar (@KingBacca22x) October 14, 2024
Whatever happened here, it sure seems like we have the early makings of a tasty interconference rivalry. The Knicks will visit DiVincenzo’s Timberwolves again in late December.
We better get our popcorn ready, folks.
