Knicks’ Donte DiVincenzo sounds off on Tom Thibodeau being named in poll as one coach players would least like to play for

For a third straight year, Tom Thibodeau had the most votes in the category “coach I’d least like to play for” by getting 46.8 percent of the 77 votes in The Athletic’s latest player poll , prompting Donte DiVincenzo to jump to his head coach’s defense.

“Bulls---, that’s all I have to say. A lot of guys don’t play for Thibs. On the outside looking in you have a certain viewpoint,” DiVincenzo said via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “When you are inside and play for Thibs, like I said, it’s bulls---.”

“You don’t know him. You don’t know how the organization runs. You don’t know how the practices run. You don’t know anything. You see honestly on the sideline how he acts. To us that’s dedication. That’s how much love and dedication he gives to us every day. Like I said, that poll is bulls–t and inaccurate,” he added.

In a related post on Instagram, Josh Hart agreed with Donte DiVincenzo’s take, commenting that “these dudes are soft.”

New York Knicks thriving under Tom Thibodeau

The New York Knicks have made it to the postseason in three of the past four seasons since Tom Thibodeau arrived in 2020. And last season, they even made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

They are coming off a dramatic 104-101 comeback victory against the Philadelphia 76ers to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round series as Donte DiVincenzo capped their rally with a crucial three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining.

In the said match, all five of their starters scored in double digits, with Jalen Brunson leading the way with 24 points, although he only went 8-of-29 from the field.

Donte DiVincenzo, on his part, contributed 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and four three-pointers, while going 5-of-10 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free throw line.