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9 hours ago
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A recent Milwaukee Bucks guard has been given Italian citizenship so that he can compete in EuroBasket 2025 later this summer.
Countries often do this with American basketball talent ahead of big international competitions, like the FIBA World Cup, EuroBasket and the Olympics.
Per BasketNews, Newark-born Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo is now an Italian citizen, as well as an American one.
As BasketNews reported way back in April, DiVincenzo had long been considering such a move in time for EuroBasket play.
"Chances of being Eurobasket? I think they're really good, we're all on the same page. For me it'd be great to represent Italy. Now we just need to wait for the documents to arrive," DiVincenzo remarked at the time, following a meeting with the Italian national team's coaching staff. "In my family, they're all proud of my choice, they really hope that this project will realize. Even my girlfriend, who has Italian roots, is pushing in that direction."
The Bucks selected the 6-foot-4 shooting guard with the No. 17 pick out of Villanova in 2018.
He logged three-and-a-half seasons with Milwaukee, averaging 8.8 points on .424/.343/.745 shooting splits, 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 176 regular season contests (90 starts). DiVincenzo was even the Bucks' starting shooting guard during the team's 2020-21 championship season, although he was waylaid by a major left ankle injury just three games into Milwaukee's playoff run and rode pine the rest of the way.
DiVincenzo has been oft-traveled since then, playing for the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks before landing with the Timberwolves last offseason.
This year's EuroBasket will kick off on August 27 and is slated to wrap up on September 14. Italy will compete in Limassol, Cyprus as part of "Group C," along with Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Spain and Greece.
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