Spencer Dinwiddie Closes His First Lakers Session, Talks His Signing Pick
Spencer Dinwiddie chose to join the Los Angeles Lakers because he believes they are a winning team.
In an interview with the media following his first practice as a Laker, Spencer Dinwiddie outlined his reasons for picking Los Angeles over his previous team, the Dallas Mavericks.
Dinwiddie stated on Monday that he believed it would have been the least difficult route for him to return to the Mavericks, with whom he played from 2022 to ’23 and assisted in getting to the Western Conference Finals.
According to Spencer Dinwiddie, via ESPN, “The two scenarios kind of felt like this: Let’s say you were a kid and the bully whupped your ass.” “Dallas would have acted as a mother figure, reassuring her child that everything will be alright. It is nothing to worry about. Lakers are similar to your father in that they will tell you to get out there and fight until you succeed. Is it feeling me? And at the time, I just thought it was what I needed.”
“I really think that you should kind of do what needs to be done at whatever moment.”
The Brooklyn Nets moved the Los Angeles native to the Toronto Raptors before the deadline, allowing him to become a free agency. The Raptors bought out his contract on Saturday even before he was waived.
As a result, the point guard was free to sign with Los Angeles, who had $1.55 million left over from their non-tax midlevel exception. Dinwiddie was invited to the Lakers’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans as a sign of the team’s interest.
Rob Pelinka, general manager and president of basketball operations for the Lakers, sat with the thirty-year-old. Dinwiddie made a positive impression on reporters by telling them that Pelinka was the first person he spoke to after getting waived and that they enjoyed watching Los Angeles win together.
It could also be possible for Dinwiddie to catch up with the team because he has played with a number of them. Alongside D’Angelo Russell, Taurean Prince, and assistant coach Jordan Ott in Brooklyn, he played alongside Christian Wood on the Mavs, Rui Hachimura on the Wizards, and other players.
Dinwiddie met with Lakers head coach Darvin Ham on Sunday to have a private film session after Ham informed Dinwiddie that he wants to play him right away. The Lakers’ game against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday will be Dinwiddie’s first chance to play. He is joining at a time when injuries are piling up in Los Angeles.
“He will quickly adjust and become very comfortable,” Ham remarked. “Told him to stop worrying about making errors. We’ll assist him in discussing it.
