Former New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo is in for a long road to recovery.
Following a Knicks practice session at the top of the new week, Jalen Brunson spoke about his former teammate after hearing the devastating news.
“I talked to him last night,” Brunson revealed.
“He seems to be in good spirits. He’s formulating a plan, and I wish nothing but the best. It sucks to see. I think, honestly, after the game, that was like the first thing I heard. Looked it up and saw it. That’s my brother. Tough to see, but he’ll be back stronger.”
What Happened To Donte DiVincenzo?
As the Timberwolves battled for their Game 4 matchup against the Denver Nuggets, DiVincenzo had to exit the game in the first quarter.
He was wheeled out of the arena before the game reached the second half, and already had a diagnosis of a torn Achilles prior to the game’s conclusion. The Timberwolves made it out of Game 4 with a gutsy win in the absence of DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards.
But now they face a tough road ahead, as the former player won’t return, and the latter player is out for the rest of the first round.
DiVincenzo Could Miss Plenty Of Time
The veteran guard became one of a few players to suffer a torn Achilles in the playoffs over the past year.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum went out in the second round last season and managed to return by March of the next year. Damian Lillard went out in the first round and missed the entire regular season. He remains out through the first round of the playoffs.
Then, there’s Tyrese Haliburton, who was out for the entire year. His injury occurred during Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
It’s too early to put a full recovery timeline in play for DiVincenzo. The veteran guard underwent surgery and will focus solely on the early stages of his recovery, while rooting for his Timberwolves.
DiVincenzo, a one-time New York Knick and former Villanova teammate of Brunson’s, will have support from his former NY teammates throughout the process as well.