After being dismissed by the Toronto Raptors, guard Spencer Dinwiddie of the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t have to wait long to find a new team.
The Brooklyn Nets sent Dinwiddie to Toronto, who released him to avoid having to give him the contract bonus he was due. The Lakers then pounced on the chance and acquired him for the balance of the 2023–2024 campaign.
The seasoned guard has established himself as a reliable member of head coach Darvin Ham’s rotation after stabilizing a backcourt lineup that was lacking in depth behind D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves.
Dinwiddie acknowledged that despite his brief tenure with the team, he is enjoying himself more in Los Angeles than he did in Brooklyn. Dinwiddie, who played in Brooklyn and grew up in Los Angeles, likened the dynamic between the Lakers and L.A. Clippers to that of the Knicks and Nets in New York.
“Absolutely,” Dinwiddie replied. You have to keep in mind, man—not to beat a dead horse, but every other child growing up in Los Angeles becomes a Lakers fan. They are lying if they claim to have grown up as a Clippers fan. It isn’t real. Similar circumstances apply to the Knicks-Nets situation. the entire history alone. It’s a Lakers town, even when the Clippers are good—like they are this year. That’s just the way things are.
When you combine that with playing with arguably the greatest player of all time, playing meaningful basketball, participating in a playoff race, making an impact, and experiencing various moments such as starting and scoring big points, stopping the opposition’s run defense, blocking Dame, and other similar experiences, those are things I’ll be able to tell my kids about. I don’t want to try to act older than I am—LeBron is 40—because I am just thirty. However, in general, you want this to have a goal; you don’t want to be aimless and held accountable for everything while doing so. It’s an ass. That’s not at all enjoyable. Not at all.
In a recent interview, Dinwiddie discussed his time with the Nets and expressed his belief that it was not fully appreciated. Dinwiddie has obviously not forgotten how he was portrayed, as he was frequently held responsible for Brooklyn’s problems.
By all accounts, though, Dinwiddie has adapted well with the Lakers and will have to make a compelling choice when he becomes a free agent.
