Josh Hart got emotional after watching his old friend Donte DiVincenzo open up about the moment his season ended. The Minnesota Timberwolves released a video Wednesday detailing DiVincenzo’s recovery from the ruptured right Achilles he suffered in the first round against Denver.
DiVincenzo described the surreal isolation he felt right after the injury, even with 20,000 fans screaming. He said every interaction afterward felt like just him and that person in the room. Hart reposted the clip with three pleading face emojis — a simple but gut-punch reaction from one of the guys who knows DiVincenzo best.
These two go way back. Hart and DiVincenzo were teammates at Villanova on that 2018 national championship team alongside Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. That core four stayed tight through the NBA grind. All four of them ended up playing for the Knicks at some point, and Hart, Brunson, and Bridges just won the 2026 NBA title together in New York. DiVincenzo watched that run from a distance after getting hurt in April.
The injury that cut short a breakout postseason
DiVincenzo was playing some of his best ball when it happened. He averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 boards, and 3.8 assists during the regular season while shooting 37.9% from three. But he cranked it up in the playoffs. In Game 2 against Denver he dropped 16 points with seven rebounds and six assists. Game 3 he had 15 points, seven assists, four steals, and three made threes. Then Game 4 happened early.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch gave an encouraging update on DiVincenzo’s rehab at Summer League in Vegas on Thursday. Finch said the surgery happened fast and the early signs are great. DiVincenzo’s spirits are good, Finch added, though he stopped short of setting a timeline. Achilles injuries for guards are tricky, but the Wolves seem optimistic.
For Hart, watching his guy go through that and then hearing him talk about it openly hit different. These Villanova guys have always been weirdly close for NBA players — they talk constantly, they vacation together, they show up at each other’s games. Seeing one of them vulnerable like that clearly landed hard for Hart.
DiVincenzo is expected to miss most if not all of next season. The Wolves signed him to a four-year deal last offseason, so they’re invested in his long-term recovery. But the video made one thing clear: the hardest part wasn’t the rehab. It was the quiet in a building full of noise.
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