NBA
Donte DiVincenzo Sends Thank You to Knicks Fans
“The Big Ragu” has bid a saucy farewell to the New York Knicks.
Trading for Karl-Anthony Towns has had a euphoric yet bittersweet impact on the Knicks: while acquiring the former Minnesota Timberwolves star no doubt strengthens the Knicks’ championship case, they’re bidding farewell to Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle, who are on their way to Minneapolis after helping guide New York to 50 wins and the second seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket.
With the trade rendered official on Wednesday, DiVincenzo bid goodbye to Knicks fans via a statement released through his representation group, Glushon Sports Management.
“Thank you fans! Thank you for one of the best years of my life. The energy, the love, the tenacity, and the fun we had,” DiVincenzo began. “It was just one season, but one for the record books. Thanks for briefly letting me into your storied legacy and in your legendary family. Until next time…”
While DiVincenzo spent but one year in a Knick uniform, he left an undeniably lasting impression: DiVincenzo was originally signed as a reserve but he leaped into the starting lineup by December and went on to average 17.7 points over the last 61 games. Together with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, DiVincenzo formed the “‘Nova Knicks” contingent that added Mikal Bridges earlier this offseason, reuniting members of Villanova University’s national championship-winning teams from 2016 and 2018.
He also left a noticeable mark on the franchise’s historic ledgers, setting a Knicks single-season record with 283 successful three-pointers and sinking a clutch triple that gave New York a vital victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against Philadelphia.
It’s possible that Knicks fans won’t have to wait long to return DiVincenzo’s appreciation, as the Timberwolves are due to visit Madison Square Garden for a preseason game on Oct. 13.