Brooklyn Nets: Spencer Dinwiddie turns heads winning the Skills Challenge
Spencer Dinwiddie represented the Brooklyn Nets well at 2018 NBA All-Star weekend, as he took home the title in the Skills Challenge.
Brooklyn Nets fans rejoiced Saturday night watching their starting point guard, Spencer Dinwiddie add another chapter to his breakout 2017-18 season. Dinwiddie took home top honors during the annual Taco Bell Skills Challenge, defeating Chicago Bulls rookie Lauri Markkanen in the final round.
The former University of Colorado star performed each obstacle efficiently earning plenty of praise from fans and “Players Only” broadcasters calling the action. Back in his hometown for the event, Dinwiddie was seen by many to be the underdog. The Nets are not featured often on national television, so only true fans from the New York City area knew of his success in high-pressure situations.
After securing the title, Dinwiddie talked with the media, sharing his excitement and humble nature with the national audience.
"“It’s big for me to even be at All-Star Weekend considering the road that’s been in my career, very up and down. Obviously being in the G League both on assignment and as a G League player, thank you to the Brooklyn Nets for giving me this opportunity to play and be here. Then it all really feels and seems full circle because I got to come home and do it in front of my family.”“One of the marks of my game is being able to affect the game in multiple ways, whether it be passing, defending or scoring,” he said before jokingly adding. “Good thing they didn’t have a rebounding challenge, I guess, in this or I wouldn’t have won it.”"
The Nets haven’t had much to cheer about this season as they continue to struggle to win games. The team wasn’t expected to have an All-Star caliber player on the roster after dealing away franchise scoring leader Brook Lopez last summer for young upstart D’Angelo Russell. Russell’s injury, along with the loss of Jeremy Lin derailed playoff thoughts early on, but allowed the chance to see young players like Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert make immediate impacts.
Dinwiddie’s performance definitely rose his stock tremendously as other teams were forced to recognize the complete player he’s become this season. It will be a test for the Nets to keep Dinwiddie long-term considering the big money he may be seeing once he eventually hits the free agent market in 2019.
Dinwiddie’s victory in the event was the first for the franchise since Jason Kidd won the very first competition back in 2003. The irony in that situation is that Kidd was considered the odds-on favorite on the Nets team that eventually made its second NBA Finals appearance.
The rest of the season will continue to be an uphill battle for the Nets as they continue to play out the string and see what else they have in their young talent. Brooklyn fans can enjoy this win from Dinwiddie as a strong indication that there is hope on the horizon.
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The victory also was the first in the competition’s latest format of bigs vs. guards where the backcourt player came out on top. Due to his ACL injury, New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis couldn’t defend his 2017 crown.