The NBA preseason is officially here. And although these games essentially do not count for anything, sometimes emotions still tend to boil over. And that was the case when the New York Knicks faced off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.
Rick Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo Have Heated Exchange
This is the first time that the two teams met since the blockbuster trade earlier this month. For those tardy to the party, the Knicks traded Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for All-Star big man Karl Anthony-Towns. After the game, DiVincenzo and Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, who is the father of New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson came face to face and had to be separated.
Donte DiVincenzo and Rick Brunson get into a heated exchange after the MN vs NY game 👀pic.twitter.com/9gUHtWWRCC
— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) October 14, 2024
Fans weighed in with their reactions on social media.
"Donte a f****** menace lmfao," one fan said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Donte acting like he was a superstar with the Knicks and they should've never traded him lol," another fan added.
Ex-Knicks Guard Was Growing Unhappy With Role
DiVincenzo and Brunson's interaction appeared to stem from another heated exchange that occurred earlier in the game. While DiVincenzo was shooting a free throw he was giving an earful to New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau apparently thanking him for the trade.
"Thank you for the trade Thibs. Thank you for the trade... that's what happens when they let you run the show," the Timberwolves guard said.
“Thank you for the trade Thibs. Thank you for the trade… that’s what happens when they let you run the show.” - Donte DiVincenzo
🍿🍿🍿
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) October 13, 2024
There had previously been murmurs that DiVincenzo was growing unhappy with his role in New York before the trade. The former Villanova star had a career year with the franchise last season and was hoping to get a bigger role on the team as a reward.
But those plans were nixed during the offseason when the Knicks pulled off another blockbuster trade to land defensive specialist Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. There appears to be bad blood between Donte and the franchise following the trade. This could be the beginning of the next great rivalry.
