Well, Donte DiVincenzo’s return to MSG did not go as smoothly as he would have liked. Not only did he suffer his first preseason loss, but Donte also got into a verbal altercation with the Knicks’ coaching staff. And things got so heated that the sharpshooter had to be separated from assistant coach, Rick Brunson, father of Jalen Brunson, following the final whistle. While there were rumors that Donte yelled “Thanks for the trade” to his former team, a leaked video of the entire altercation sheds some light on what transpired.

Until now, there were speculations that Donte was trash-talking Rick Brunson during the game. However, the leaked clip shows that after he made a tough and-one floater, he went to the free throw line and targeted Tom Thibodeau, “Can’t finish, right Thibs? Can’t finish, right?”

As it turns out, Rick intervened in the heated traffic, which led to DiVincenzo yelling, “That’s what happens when you run the show… Let Dad be the coach.” Sure enough, the ‘Dad’ remark might have rubbed Jalen’s father the wrong way, and that’s why the assistant coach confronted the hooper after the game. However, the former Knicks star clarified, “I was talking to Thibs.”

Meanwhile, Jalen, who was stuck in an awkward situation between his friend and his father, had his arm around Donte and tried to pacify the situation by talking to his former teammate. And about the ‘Thanks for the trade’ rumors, Donte claimed, “I didn’t say thanks for the trade.”

While there have been murmurs about the hooper being ‘unhappy’ during his time in New York, Donte DiVincenzo has always spoken highly of Tom Thibodeau and even clarified why there was banter with the head coach from the free throw line, “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.”

Donte DiVincenzo has “nothing but love” for the Knicks, while Anthony Edwards defends his trash talk

Although Sunday’s heated exchange led to rumors about bad blood between Donte and the Knicks, the sharpshooter denied, saying, “There’s absolutely nothing but love from my end to the organization.” Yes, he spent only one season with the team. But he had the best individual year of his career, averaging 15.5 points. Sure enough, fans loved him and he was even welcomed to MSG with a wholesome tribute video. So, despite the sudden trade, he claims to have no animosity with the franchise.

However, there was a reason behind his trash talk, “I’m not there anymore. I play competitive. I wear my heart on my sleeve and that’s all it was.” As much as Donte loves New York, on the court, they are his opponents now. And there are bound to be such passionate interactions during games. Even his new teammate Anthony Edwards defended Donte DiVincenzo for his actions on Sunday, saying, “You can’t be mad at him, man.”

The youngster also appreciated the sharpshooter’s contribution to the franchise: “He makes all the right plays and shoots the cover off the ball. New York is definitely going to miss him.”

Donte DiVincenzo’s playmaking ability was visible in the game. The hooper had already dished out 11 points and 4 assists in the first half itself, finishing with final figures of 15 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds, while going 6 of 11 from the field and 2 of 5 from deep.

What are your thoughts? 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.