- Programming Note: Watch Monte Poole's full interview with Donte DiVincenzo on NBC Sports Bay Area at 8:30 p.m. PT on Sunday following Dubs Talk Live
Before joining the Warriors this offseason, Donte DiVincenzo was just one of the many victims of the established dynasty created in the Bay.
Golden State ran the league for five consecutive years, and that only strengthened when NBA superstar Kevin Durant joined forces with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green for three unforgettable seasons.
Their final season together also happened to be DiVincenzo’s first year in the league, and he’ll never forget his first experience at Oracle Arena.
“My rookie year we played at Oracle, KD's last year here," DiVincenzo told NBC Sports Bay Area Warriors insider Monte Poole on the latest episode of “Dubs Talk.” "You're just in awe. Like 'How does this exist?'
“So now fast forward to being a part of this organization, it's awesome because you know the history of it.”
DiVincenzo was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks 17th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft where he spent his first five seasons. After one year in Sacramento with the Kings, the 26-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Warriors in free agency, with the second year being a player option.
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In a season where the Warriors have seen many ups and downs, DiVincenzo has been steady as a rock, providing just what Golden State needed from him. He's averaging 9.0 points on 43.2 percent shooting from the field and 41.6 percent from downtown, on top of 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 25.2 minutes.
But his defense has been a game-changer for the Warriors, an area where the team has struggled all season. It was especially critical for DiVincenzo to deliver on that end of the court after Golden State let Gary Payton II walk in free agency (before re-acquiring him eight months later).
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Durant's no longer in the picture, and DiVincenzo's first year in the Bay hasn't exactly been championship-like so far. But he still appreciates the opportunity, the confidence the Warriors allowed him to regain and what the future, whatever that might look like, holds for him and the organization.