Former Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo recently reflected on Iguodala’s impact, sharing insights into the veteran’s work ethic and mentorship during their time together in the 2022-23 season—DiVincenzo’s lone season with the franchise and Iguodala’s final year in the NBA.

Speaking on The Old Man and the Three podcast, DiVincenzo praised Iguodala’s approach to the game, highlighting the veteran’s unwavering dedication even as his role diminished.

“Not everything is going to be smooth sailing throughout your career… To go to Golden State and just learn that approach every day, watching Steph [Curry],” DiVincenzo said. “People forget that Andre Iguodala was there. Watching him every day—I always joke with him, like, ‘60 years old, being in the gym first and last to leave all the time.’ He always had a positive mindset. He wasn’t playing much, but when he did play, he was ready.”

Iguodala’s leadership behind the scenes

While Iguodala played a limited role in both the regular season and playoffs, his veteran presence remained invaluable. DiVincenzo noted how Iguodala’s ability to stay mentally and physically prepared despite not seeing consistent minutes was a testament to his professionalism.

“Somebody like him who’s had a hell of a career—you’re not playing, and you could easily say, ‘Alright, I’m not playing for the whole season.’ But then, when you’re thrown in there and still being productive, that’s super hard to do.”

DiVincenzo’s impact with the Warriors

During his lone season in Golden State, DiVincenzo appeared in 72 games, averaging 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals, while shooting 43.5% from the field and 39.7% from three-point range. The Warriors’ title defense ended in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, as they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

Iguodala’s legacy with Golden State

A four-time NBA champion, Iguodala spent eight seasons with the Warriors across two stints, appearing in 452 regular-season games while averaging 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals. His impact was even greater in the postseason, where he played 111 playoff games for the franchise and earned NBA Finals MVP honors in 2015 for his stellar performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On February 23, 2024, the Warriors honored Iguodala by retiring his No. 9 jersey, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential players in NBA franchise history.

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.”

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.

“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.”

During the game, DiVincenzo exchanged heated words with his former coach, Tom Thibodeau. After the game, tensions escalated as DiVincenzo and Rick Brunson got into an argument that required others to step in and separate the two.

“You know, families fight. Things are said. It should’ve been handled better on both sides,” Jalen Brunson said on the latest episode of his Roommates Show podcast. “Everyone thinks the world is crumbling.”

DiVincenzo, who had reportedly been “very unhappy” with his role on the Knicks before the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, was a key piece in the deal alongside Julius Randle. His run-ins with both Thibodeau and Brunson senior appear to reflect his frustrations as he adjusts to his new team in Minnesota.

Josh Hart weighs in on the issue

Knicks forward Josh Hart also shared his thoughts on the situation between DiVincenzo and the coaching staff. “When you get traded sometimes, you feel unwanted,” Hart said. “Whenever you play that team, whether it’s the preseason, you always go at that team.”

“It’s always personal for you… we’re actually people, we have emotions, we have feelings,” Hart continued. “But, at the end of the day, it’s always love. You’ve built relationships and gone through adversity with those people.”

DiVincenzo, Brunson, Hart, and newly acquired forward Mikal Bridges were all college teammates at Villanova. There was high anticipation to see how the quartet would play together in the NBA, but the unexpected trade cut short that possibility for the Knicks.

While Randle has yet to make his debut for the Wolves, DiVincenzo has quickly made an impression, especially during a recent victory over the Los Angeles Lakers and in a strong showing against his former team, the Knicks.

After the game, Edwards didn’t hold back when expressing how much he enjoys playing with DiVincenzo. “It’s f— incredible (playing alongside DiVincenzo),” Edwards told reporters after Sunday’s game. “I mean, I don’t need the ball, man. … Playing with Donte is f—, I’m not going to lie, it’s fun as hell.”

Edwards went on to praise DiVincenzo’s energy and intensity. “He’s motivated every night,” Edwards said. “Even when I used to play against him … busting through screens. When he’s getting downhill, he’s getting downhill. He’s aggressive with everything that he does, so you can’t be mad at him, man. He does everything — makes all the right plays, shoots the cover off the ball. I know New York’s gonna miss him.”

DiVincenzo faces former knicks coach Thibodeau

During his return to Madison Square Garden, DiVincenzo didn’t just face his former team — he also had a tense encounter with his former head coach, Tom Thibodeau.

Late in the first quarter, as DiVincenzo prepared to take a free throw with just over six minutes left on the clock, he took a moment to send a message to Thibodeau. “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,” DiVincenzo said before calmly sinking the foul shot.

The drama didn’t end on the court. After the game, Stefan Bondy reported on X (formerly Twitter) that DiVincenzo and Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson (Jalen Brunson’s father) were involved in a heated exchange.

While microphones didn’t capture the details, witnesses say the confrontation escalated to the point where the two had to be separated before heading to their respective locker rooms.

DiVicenzo didn’t waste any time. The guard, who was in charge of executing a free throw for the Timberwolves in the first quarter with 6 minutes remaining on the clock, took the chance to face his former coach Thibodeau.

“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,” said DiVicenzo before calmly sinking the foul shot.

The discussion didn’t end there. After the conclusion of the match “Donte DiVincenzo and coach assistant Rick Brunson (Jalen’s dad) appeared to have a heated exchange after the game“, as Stefan Bondy wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account. The microphones weren’t able to catch the moment, but both player and assistant had to be separated before heading to the locker room.

DiVincenzo, who was reportedly “very unhappy” about his role with the Knicks before the KAT trade, was a key piece in the deal along with Julius Randle. His confrontations with Thibodeau and Brunson seem to confirm his frustrations as he now adjusts to his new team in Minnesota.

DiVicenzo shuts downs rumors about Mikal Bridges’ signing

Prior to the trade, rumors circulated that DiVincenzo was upset about being moved to the bench after the Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges. However, in an interview with The New York Post, DiVincenzo dismissed those claims.

“Obviously everyone wants to start coming off the season I had last year, but I also understand that there’s different lineups and different combinations that teams want to get to – I understand that. It was never a thing of, ‘Oh, we got Mikal, I’m pissed off.’ I was super excited.”

DiVincenzo also spoke about the expectations he had with the Knicks ahead of the season. “I was super excited because we have a very good player coming back to the team. And you get OG (Anunoby) back, now you’re looking at, ‘Wow we’re going to be really good.’ There was never a conversation of my role was going to be diminished. It was the outside assumption and ran with it and it was untrue,” he stated.

In particular, DiVincenzo spoke about how Curry and Thompson taught him the art of moving without the ball—a key component of Golden State’s offensive system.

“Just being with Steph, being with Klay, just the non-stop moving,” DiVincenzo said. “What I picked up is the moving of the whole 24 seconds. 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.”

“You may not get the shot, but when you’re moving around and you’re making it hard for the defense, somebody else might get the shot,” he continued. “That’s the only thing you can hope for—creating an open shot for your teammates.”

Anthony Edwards reflects on lessons from Curry

Donte DiVincenzo isn’t the only Timberwolves player who has learned from Stephen Curry. Minnesota’s rising star, Anthony Edwards, also picked up some valuable lessons from Curry during their time together at Team USA’s training camp ahead of the Olympics.

“I think that was the best part about the whole thing—the practices,” Edwards said during Timberwolves Media Day. “The best thing I learned was from Steph. I took Bron’s pre-game routine, but with Steph, it was all about playing without the ball.“

“The last few days, we’ve been playing five-on-five, and I just keep cutting, getting out of the way, and I’m getting easy shots,” Edwards added. “I think I learned the most from Steph.”

Even though longtime general manager Bob Myers is no longer in the Bay area, the Dubs found in Mike Dunleavy a man who’s not afraid to make big decisions. Shortly after being promoted, the new GM pulled off the trade that brought Chris Paul to San Francisco.

On top of that, he re-signed Draymond Green to keep the core that led the franchise to multiple championships. However, the Warriors also suffered some departures, and Curry will miss one of those players.

Stephen Curry praises Donte DiVincenzo

Even though they’ve spent just one season together, Donte DiVincenzo seemed to make an impression on Curry, who believes the New York Knicks are getting a great player.

“He’s all about basketball, he’s all about winning. He brings great energy to the locker room,” Curry said Thursday, via SNY. “I used to call him the vet even though he’s still on the younger side, just because he’s got that kind of spirit about him. He plays way beyond his years. … He’s good on both sides of the ball, he can play-make better than most people probably realize. So he fills a lot of holes on a team.

“He’s not selfish in the respect of — I know he wants to start and be that guy — but he also understands where value can be created on a team no matter what the role you’re asked to do is. … And the Knicks got a good one. I’m happy that he got his fair share of that CBA too. So it was good.”

DiVincenzo signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the Knicks, where he will reunite with former college teammates Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson. In Steph’s eyes, New York got a great player in the Villanova product.

However, they cannot do everything on their own, especially after so many years in the league. Therefore, while the Dubs have already made moves to improve around Steph, Rob Pelinka is busy trying to help The King get further next year.

The Lakers not only need to go after another star, but they also have to make sure they have the right rotation for a very demanding year. And one of their depth moves could mean landing a former teammate of Curry in the Bay area.

Rumor: Lakers could be interested in Donte DiVincenzo

According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Los Angeles Lakers are among a group of teams who could sign Donte DiVincenzo, who is set to become a free agent after spending the last season with Curry in San Francisco:

“DiVincenzo opted out of his $4.7 million player option with the Warriors and is expected to receive offers from teams utilizing most of their mid-level exception, if not all of it. The Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Cavaliers have been mentioned as possible suitors for DiVincenzo, sources said, with the New York Knicks also coming up in multiple reports around the league.”

At 26, DiVincenzo can still be a useful rotational piece for a team that needs depth. His time with the Warriors may be over, but he’s expected to have many suitors in the open market.

Things are changing for Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season. It makes sense, since the team took many steps back after winning the championship the previous year.

Bob Myers has left the organization, leaving a huge vacancy at GM. Mike Dunleavy Jr. was promoted to the role, and one of his first decisions took everyone by surprise.

Jordan Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul, a move that gave a lot to talk about. But the young guard would not be the only player to leave the team this summer.

Donte DiVincenzo likely to leave Curry, Warriors by declining player option

According to Kendra Andrews of ESPN, Donte DiVincenzo is declining his $4.7 million player option with the Golden State Warriors and will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason:

“This wasn’t a big surprise for the Warriors and other front office executives around the league, as there was a sentiment that DiVincenzo had outplayed his contract in Golden State after arriving in San Francisco last summer.”

DiVincenzo gave depth to the Warriors this season, but he never played a significant role during his time in the Bay area.

The NBA offseason is underway, which is why many we should keep an eye on many teams. The New York Knicks are obviously a team to watch, but so are the Golden State Warriors, who want to maximize Stephen Curry‘s prime years.

The Dubs have already made big changes, especially since Bob Myers stepped down as general manager. The team promoted Mike Dunleavy Jr., who shocked everyone by trading Jordan Poole for Chris Paul.

But the young guard wouldn’t be the only player on his way out. Donte DiVincenzo becomes a free agent this offseason, and the Knicks are reportedly interested in offering him a new landing spot.

Rumor: Knicks eye Donte DiVincenzo

“I’m told that several influential people with the Knicks are fans of adding Donte DiVincenzo to this roster in free agency,” IAN Begley of SNY said. “DiVincenzo is a free agent this summer, so that’s a name to keep an eye on.”

The 2018 first-rounder was not a household name in the Bay area, but he did prove to be a useful rotational player for the Dubs. However, the destination of any free agent is usually unpredictable, so we’ll see.

After winning their fourth championship in seven years,Golden Statehave suffered a series of departures, as some of the elements that led them to NBA glory have left the team, such as point guard Gary Paytton II.

The Young Glove respected his nomadic tendency in the league and will play from the 2022-2023 season with the Portland Trail Blazers, leaving a hole in Steve Kerr‘s system. However, the replacement for that vacancy came to the Golden State Warriors thanks to Stephen Curry’s precise efforts of Draymond Green.

Donte DiVincenzo was recruited by Curry and Green

Coming from the Sacramento Kings, where he only played for less than six months, Donte DiVincenzo was announced as the new member of the Golden State Warriors. Visibly excited about the new challenge in his career, in which he will have to defend the honor of the current NBA champion, he mentioned what made him decide to join the Dubs.

“I had a good conversation with Steph and Draymond. They saw what I wanted, and it’s a perfect fit…I just love much the ball moves, honestly. You have three future Hall-of-Famers on the court, to be honest with you, and they’re not trying to seek their own points, their own shots. Everybody’s getting touches, everybody’s getting open looks. I think the greatest thing is when you watch it, they want everybody else to succeed as well. I think that’s contagious, and you want to be a part of that.”, shared DiVincenzo according to Clutch Points.

According to NBC Sports, DiVincenzo signed a contract to defend the Golden State Warriors jersey for two seasons in exchange for a salary of $9.3 million, which is a higher expense than what Gary Payton II represented to the team, who twice signed a 10-day contract and then agreed to an extension for last season in which he pocketed almost $2 million.