Tom Thibodeau Received Support From Familiar Knicks Name

Unlike Fredo Corleone, former New York Knicks shooter Donte DiVincenzo knew not to take sides against the family.

Speaking with Wonsy Lambre of The Ringers, longtime NBA insider Fred Katz offered a story of DiVincenzo's enduring loyalty to former Knicks boss Tom Thibodeau.

"Donte DiVincenzo loves Thibs more than either of us love, like, our own mothers," Katz told Lambre. "It is crazy how much Donte DiVincenzo loves Thibs."

DiVincenzo , currently stationed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, was said to have staunchly defended Thibodeau when his teammates partook in an annual player poll conducted by Katz's outlet The Athletic, as he reportedly took issue with some considering the ousted New Yorker as an answer in the category of worst coach.

Katz noted that the wording of the question was changed this time around: ordinarily, it asked players to identify the coach they'd "least like to play for" but it was changed to a more broad definition of "who do you think the worst coach is." Fresh off a year in Manhattan, DiVincenzo was ready to confront anyone who write in Thibodeau.

"Donte would follow around the reporters who were taking the answers," Katz recalled. "When it got to the coach question, Donte would be like 'you motherf*****, you b etter not say Tom Thibodeau. He's the best.' He was gatekeeping Thibs. That guys loves, loves Thibs, would play for him in a second. Because Donte is, honestly, like a different personality type than Thibs, same values, same mentality, same approach to work as Thibs."

DiVincenzo's lobbying apparently paid off: Thibodeau did not "win" the rebranded title in his final season at the New York helm, the demerit instead going to former Knicks assistant and current Washington Wizards boss Brian Keefe.