Well, Donte DiVincenzo’s return to Madison Square Garden wasn’t too pretty. Not only did he suffer his first preseason loss, but things got heated after the final whistle with Knicks’ assistant coach, Rick Brunson—father of Jalen. The two exchanged fiery words after the game, with a leaked video of the entire incident, shared by LegendZ providing fresh insight into what really went down. At first, many thought the hooper was trash-talking Rick Brunson throughout the game. However, the video reveals the real target.

From the looks of it, Donte DiVincenzo’s frustration was aimed at Tom Thibodeau. After sinking an impressive and-one floater, Donte, heading to the free-throw line, called out, “Can’t finish, right Thibs? Can’t finish, right?”

So, w.r.t. that, Rick Brunson chimed in after the game, calling the now-Wolves hooper out, saying, “Donte, that was some sucker s–t,” which sparked the heated exchange. Donte, clearly agitated, fired back, “You were talking to me?”

Papa Brunson then clapped back with, “Imma let you live, brother.” However, DiVincenzo quickly clarified his stance, saying, “I was talking to Thibs… you wanna bring it out here for the camera?”

This altercation happened after the Knicks traded DiVincenzo and Randle in a blockbuster 3-team deal that landed Karl-Anthony Towns in New York. Donte’s frustrations seemed to fuel his attitude on the court. Even after the initial spark, the shouting continued. The Knicks went on to win the game 115-110, continuing their undefeated preseason streak. But with the altercation now circulating online, fans are questioning the maturity of 52-year-old Rick Brunson, with some calling him out for escalating the situation.

Rick Brunson slashed by fans after ‘threatening’ reaction to Jalen’s “homeboy”

As the video of the altercation surfaced online, fans were quick to react. One fan humorously pointed out Jalen Brunson’s awkward position, saying, “Imagine stepping in a fight between your homeboy and your dad lmao.” Jalen was caught between his friend and his father. The hooper had his arm around his former teammate, trying to de-escalate the situation. Another fan chimed in, highlighting Brunson’s role in calming things down, commenting, “Crazy how Jalen had to be the mature Brunson in this situation.”

While rumors swirled about Donte DiVincenzo’s supposed “Thanks for the trade” comment, the hooper quickly shut them. Connecting the banter with his former head coach, Donte clarified, “I was joking to Thibs about not being able to finish and giving him a hard time… I didn’t say anything about the trade.”

Despite reported whispers of discontent during his New York tenure, Donte DiVincenzo has always spoken highly of TT, making it quite clear that the altercation had nothing to do with any lingering frustrations…

Some fans, however, felt Rick Brunson, being senior, had overreacted. “Brunson’s father is so insecure 😭” a netizen tweeted. Another individual mocked RB’s stature, sarcastically adding, “Idk if Rick Brunson is aware he is not in the NBA.”

While Jalen’s dad may not have been as high-profile a player as his son, he did play 10 seasons in the league and has since taken on coaching roles with 5 teams in the league, including the Knicks.

On a lighter note, some fans found humor in the situation, with one drawing a comparison to Bill Haney, father of boxer Devin Haney. “Brunson’s dad gives Bill Haney vibes,” a fan joked, recalling how Bill famously defended his son after Devin’s loss to Ryan Garcia!

The latter had tested positive for a PED and had to ultimately forfeit the win, despite dropping the champion thrice en route to a decision win. However, ‘the Dream’ was not satisfied with only the forfeit and filed a lawsuit, seeking punitive damages.

A brawl on social media followed and Bill ended it, posting, “Pleaded guilty to the worse thing in boxing – Performance Enhancing Drugs. Then snitched on everybody! You can’t make this up….. Dumb AF!”

However, coming back to the hoops, despite the fiery exchange, Donte DiVincenzo made it clear that there’s no bad blood with New York. “I’m not there anymore, I play competitive. I wear my heart on my sleeve and that’s all it was,” he said.

While the hooper still loves the city, on the court, the Knicks are now his opponents. Even Wolves teammate Anthony Edwards defended him, stating, “You can’t be mad at him, man.” 

What are your thoughts on the entire controversy? Let us know in the comments below.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.