TOKYO — Basketball can plant a person in the most unforeseen of circumstances. For Donte DiVincenzo, in this particular moment, it’s a Starbucks in Tokyo. On the way out, he will be rushed by a group of Japanese fans in search of a selfie, autograph or both, calling him out by name in a country he’s never been to before.
But first, he’s telling a story. His memories drift back to the Orlando bubble, one of the oddest events in NBA history. DiVincenzo was finishing his second season. His Milwaukee Bucks were in the second round of the playoffs. It was being held on the Disney World campus. No fans were in attendance. To the outside world, the pressure might’ve felt minimized. But that isn’t DiVincenzo’s memory.
“I just remember my hands were so sweaty at the (free-throw) line,” he said. “Two free throws and we were down one. Season on the line. Five seconds left.”
DiVincenzo undersold it. There were actually 1.9 seconds left. The Bucks trailed the Heat 3-0 in the series, on the verge of being swept. The context of the situation matters. The vultures were circling the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation. Speculation was running wild about his future and the collateral damage a sweep would cause. Would he ask out? Would the coach be fired? Would the roster around him be blown up?
The last man standing between a caving door and an avalanche of an offseason was a still unestablished second-year guard.
“I’m sitting at the free-throw line and miss the first one,” he said.
