Free, because the Kings did not want to keep him, at the end of the 2021/22 season, Donte DiVincenzo needed to bounce back. He had listened to Stephen Curry during a telephone conversation during the summer. The very recent MVP of the 2022 Finals then advised him to come to Golden State for a year.
Of course, the check would not be huge ($4.5 million) but the opportunity would be very interesting: to play in the best team in the league, crowned against Boston a few days earlier. Ideal for relaunching, as Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II had just done, and getting a big contract in 2023.
An opinion that counts more than others
When the time came to look for dollars, during the 2023 free agency, Donte DiVincenzo recalled Stephen Curry. “It was on FaceTime. He and his family were there and there are people whose opinions mean a lot to me.”, explain the rear.
The Wolves were interested but the former Golden State player wanted to have the double MVP's opinion on another team, which wanted to offer him 50 million over four years.
“He talked to me particularly about New York, about what he should do, what I thought about that,” remembers Curry, who was seduced by this track. “Seeing the squad and their role, what they needed as players. It was a playoff team, going in the right direction. In addition, he was familiar to some players (Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart) whom he had known since university. »
We know, Donte DiVincenzo finally signed with the Knicks and Curry's words carried weight. “He said things. That's what I thought.”he confirms. “I'm an adult, I make my own decisions, but having someone of his stature confirm what I thought, it reassures me about the decision to make. If he had said otherwise, I would have started to wonder. It reinforced what I thought about New York. »
Considering the season from behind (13.9 points on average), Seth's brother was not wrong. On the other hand, honestly, he never imagined such a brilliant success. “I had not envisaged his offensive explosion”he slips.
A role model for Donte DiVincenzo
With 4 3-pointers per game in 2024, or 111 award-winning baskets in total, DiVincenzo is the second most prolific player behind the arc in this calendar year. The first ? Stephen Curry obviously, with 130 3-point baskets scored.
“There's something else on the list of best shooters this season, there's me, Luka Doncic and Curry, but the latter is way ahead, with like 100 more baskets”laughs the back while Curry has 69 more baskets than the Slovenian and 82 more than him. ” It's ridiculous. It's really crazy. »
“Chef Curry’s” influence on the Villanova NCAA alumnus wasn’t limited to his career choice. It is also visible in performances since DiVincenzo worked last summer to imitate Curry on two specific points: the placement of his shoulders and the fact of staying straight, and thus not moving back, when he shoots.
Work now pays and gives wings. “He told me he was going to try to catch up with me in the ranking of the best shooters in history”, says Curry who received this text last week. Except that with 644 award-winning baskets, he is still far from the 3,656 successes of the most prolific shooter in NBA history. He knows, deep down, there is only one Stephen Curry.
“We want to imitate him, we want to be like that. All the kids want to be like him,” assures DiVincenzo. “But in front of the mirror, you have to tell yourself: I am not him. Nobody is. Stephen, it's Stephen. He proves it year after year. Now we can strive to follow our path. People who admire Stephen know that he is in another world, but the important thing is how to follow his path. »
| Donte DiVincenzo | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2018-19 | MIL | 27 | 15 | 40.3 | 26.5 | 75.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 4.9 |
| 2019-20 | MIL | 66 | 23 | 45.5 | 33.6 | 73.3 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 9.2 |
| 2020-21 | MIL | 66 | 28 | 42.0 | 37.9 | 71.8 | 1.2 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 10.4 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 42 | 24 | 35.1 | 33.9 | 84.3 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 9.1 |
| 2021-22 * | BAG | 25 | 27 | 36.2 | 36.8 | 83.9 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 10.3 |
| 2021-22 * | MIL | 17 | 20 | 33.1 | 28.4 | 85.2 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 7.2 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 72 | 26 | 43.5 | 39.7 | 81.7 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 9.4 |
| 2023-24 | NYK | 57 | 25 | 45.7 | 41.7 | 72.9 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 13.8 |
| Total | 330 | 25 | 42.9 | 37.6 | 76.8 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 9.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
