It’s only right that one of the best shooters in the NBA has one of the league’s best nicknames.
Donte DiVincenzo is a man of many names, but he’s best known as “The Big Ragu.” He earned the nickname in college and it’s followed him to the NBA, where he’s established himself as an elite shooter.
Following stints with the Bucks, Kings and Warriors, DiVincenzo had a career year with the Knicks in 2023-24, averaging 15.5 points per game on 40.1 percent shooting from deep. His hot shooting has carried over into the 2024 NBA Playoffs, where the Knicks have a chance to make the Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
Does DiVincenzo’s nickname have anything to do with his shooting ability? Here’s what you need to know.
MORE: Complete list of winners for NBA’s end-of-season awards
Why is Donte DiVincenzo called The Big Ragu?
DiVincenzo was given the nickname “The Big Ragu” by Fox broadcaster Gus Johnson.
Johnson called DiVincenzo “The Big Ragu” following his game-winning tip-in to lift Villanova over Virginia during his sophomore season in Philadelphia. When he was later asked about the nickname, DiVincenzo said he assumed it was because he’s “Italian with red hair.”
Ragu is a popular meat sauce in Italian cuisine that is often served with pasta. There’s also a company called “Ragú” that sells sauces.
While he was with the Bucks, DiVincenzo gave some more context behind the nickname.
“[Johnson] gave me the nickname one day saying that I got the sauce,” DiVincenzo said. “He said it worked perfectly because I’m Italian, I got red hair and I got a little swag to me.”
DiVincenzo shares the nickname with Eddie Mekka’s character, Carmine “The Big Ragu” Ragusa, from the sitcom “Laverne & Shirley.” It’s thought that Johnson was referencing the show when he first called DiVincenzo “The Big Ragu.”
Where is Donte DiVincenzo from?
DiVincenzo was born on Jan. 31, 1997, in Newark, Delaware. He went to high school in Delaware before going to Villanova, where he helped the Wildcats win two championships.
DiVincenzo has family roots in Italy. He has said that he would love to represent Italy in the Olympics and was in the process of securing the paperwork for citizenship as of early 2024.
“My agent is talking to the federation,” he said. “Naturally there is some bureaucratic paperwork to take care of, and my father, whose family comes from Abruzzo, is working on it.
“It would be truly wonderful to be able to represent the country where a big part of my family originates from.”
Abruzzo, where DiVincenzo’s extended family is from, is a region of Southern Italy.
