Stephen Curry's impact has always gone well beyond his production on the basketball court, with that again emphasized in a report on Wednesday that revealed the superstar's influence on former Golden State Warriors teammate Donte DiVincenzo.
The pair may have only played together at the Warriors for one season, but the bond was seemingly strong enough for DiVicenzo to contact Curry about his free agency decision last offseason.
Stephen Curry indirectly helped the Golden State Warriors again with his free agency advice to former teammate Donte DiVicenzo
DiVicenzo had significantly outplayed the $4.5 million deal he was on last season, pricing him out of Golden State's ability to re-sign the 2021 NBA champion. Curry was still happy to provide advice about where DiVicenzo should go though, helping to affirm his former teammate's decision to head to the New York Knicks.
In a report from The Athletic's Fred Katz and Anthony Slater ahead of the Warriors' meeting with the Knicks on Thursday, Curry revealed the pair's conversation during the offseason.
"He reached out about New York specifically and what he should do, what I thought he should do. When you have gained trust in someone to call, pick up the phone, it means a lot, especially for a guy who was only here for a year."Stephen Curry on Donte DiVincenzo
Whether intentional or not, Curry's advice to DiVincenzo certainly helped Golden State. Given a re-signing with the franchise was practically unrealistic, the best outcome for the Warriors was for the 27-year-old to switch conferences.
The Athletic's report also alluded to the Minnesota Timberwolves' strong interest in signing DiVincenzo, which would have been a more bitter pill to swallow for Golden State given their rise to a contender in the West.
DiVincenzo's move to the Knicks has proved an incredibly fruitful one. The sixth-year guard has made the third-most threes in the league this season at a 41.6% clip, crediting Curry's assistance in his development to one of the best shooters in the NBA.
DiVincenzo was an impactful piece for the Warriors last season, averaging 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 25.6 minutes which included 36 starts in his 72 games.