Donte DiVincenzo, a key contributor to the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2021 NBA Championship, saw his career take a turn after an injury slowed his momentum. His move to the Golden State Warriors became a turning point, where his game and mindset were significantly elevated—something he credits to Stephen Curry and the Warriors’ unique culture.
During an appearance on The Old Man and The Three podcast, DiVincenzo opened up about how his year with Golden State reshaped his career. “I took that year to rebalance and revive what I thought I could be, and I don’t think I could have gone to a better place to do that,” DiVincenzo shared. “Playing with those dudes just completely changed my mindset of basketball.”
He further elaborated on the Warriors’ impact: “I think there’s certain organizations that you can just go to and play a certain style that makes guys look really good,” he said. “And I think Golden State is that. If you can flourish in that kind of chaos of what they do – I got so many open looks that I never thought I would get.”
The former Villanova star highlighted Curry’s relentless work ethic and its influence on his approach to the game. “He came ready to work every single day, and the amount of shots he took, and [his attention to] detail. There was never a day off for that guy,” DiVincenzo recounted. “That year really changed everything about how I approach practice.”
Donte DiVincenzo #0 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors talk against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The role of veteran leadership at Golden State
DiVincenzo also praised the Warriors‘ veteran presence and organizational culture, which left a lasting impression. “It’s also the accountability of a lot of the guys within these organizations that either played there or have been around that coach in years prior,” DiVincenzo noted.
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“You go to Golden State – Shaun Livingston was out there. He was in the front office at the time, but he was a huge voice for a lot of us,” he continued. “And you had Andre Iguodala. Andre was still playing, but he was a coach at that point. He’s a legend. He was the voice.”
Lessons from Curry and Klay Thompson
Before the start of the season, DiVincenzo reflected on how Curry and Klay Thompson taught him the importance of movement in basketball, a hallmark of Golden State’s offensive system.
“Just being with Steph, being with Klay, just the non-stop moving. What I picked up is the moving of the whole 24 seconds,” he explained. “Never standing still, because when you’re standing still, the defense is resting when you’re not moving around. They’re going to mess up at some point. It might be within the first five, six, seven seconds of a clock, or it might be the last two or three seconds.”
