Over the last decade, the Warriors have built a reputation for their second-to-none culture and playing style.
That, in turn, has made them an attractive landing spot for free agents looking to revitalize themselves.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, who played with Golden State during the 2022-23 NBA season, was one of those players to parlay a successful year in the Bay into a long-term contract with another franchise.
“I took that year to rebalance and revive what I thought I could be, and I don’t think I could have went to a better place to do that,” DiVincenzo told Duncan Robinson and Tommy Alter of “The Young Man and The Three” podcast. “Playing with those dudes just completely changed my mindset of basketball."
After averaging 9.4 points in about 26 minutes per game – while shooting a then-career-best 39.7 percent from 3-point range – DiVincenzo earned a four-year contract worth almost $47 million from the New York Knicks in 2023.
“I don’t think there’s this secret recipe they’re doing, but just the style of play they have makes a lot of guys successful,” DiVincenzo explained about what stuck out to him about the Warriors.
Golden State Warriors
“I think there’s certain organizations that you can just go to and play a certain style, that make guys look really good. 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.”
In particular, DiVincenzo highlighted the simplicity of fitting in with the Warriors.
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“On offense, literally just run around like crazy and shoot the ball, and you look really good doing it,” he proclaimed.
The sharpshooting DiVincenzo also detailed the impact of Warriors guard Steph Curry on his own game – especially his work ethic and demeanor.
“He came ready to work every single day, and the amount of shots he took, and detail. There was never a day off for that guy,” DiVincenzo recounted. “That year really changed everything about how I approach practice.”
Moreover, DiVincenzo – who now has played on five different NBA teams – pointed out the importance of the Warriors’ veterans.
“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 continued. “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. 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.”
Along those lines with coaching, DiVincenzo alluded to a recent incident when Warriors coach Steve Kerr was irate at Curry after a bad turnover.
“They hold even the best players accountable,” DiVincenzo concluded, “so when you see that … Steph is getting cussed at and cursed at and coached a certain way – who am I to think that I should have an attitude if they say something to me?”
Ultimately, it’s another example of the respect many NBA players share for Curry and the rest of the Warriors organization, as well as an interesting insight into why they have been so successful.
