THIS LEAGUE: Kyle Kuzma vs Spencer Dinwiddie Is The Type Of Random NBA Beef We Need
Jonathan Bachman. Getty Images.If you had to come up with some of the weirdest NBA beefs, I'm pretty sure Kyle Kuzma vs Spencer Dinwiddie would be pretty high up the list. Both guys are a bit outspoken, both guys maybe think their talent level is better than it actually is, and despite being teammates it's pretty clear there's some bad blood there.
It all dates back to a comment from Dinwiddie after the Wizards beat the Mavs in late January
It is a little funny that just a few weeks later Dinwiddie was traded for the Mavs, they did not have a top 3 MVP candidate, and as we know the Mavs decided to go the Lottery route than the whole "play winning basketball" thing. In fact, you could argue they decided against that strategy the second they traded for Kyrie.
There is some truth to that statement though. This was a showcase year for Kyle Kuzma. He very much does want to get paid this summer if he turns down his $13M player option (which he probably will).
As you can imagine, Kuzma heard that comment and responded how athletes do in 2023
I guess this round has to go to Kuzma right?
Fast foward the rest of the NBA season, the Wizards ended up missing the Play In which I guess sort of proves Dinwiddies point on some level, and the Nets are big time underdogs against the Sixers. Fortunately for us, that didn't stop Dinwiddie from firing up the drama
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I have to say, I don't really think this helps Dinwiddie all that much. Is he even a 3rd star in a good team? If he was, why has he been traded no fewer than a billion times? His main dig on Kuzma is also weirdly a dig at himself when you think about it. If he was good enough to be a 3rd star, the Mavs probably don't trade him right? If they felt he was good enough to play next to Luka and win at a high level, what's the need for Kyrie then?
The next miss is suggesting that because Kyle Kuzma has a bizarre fashion sense that means he doesn't care about basketball. I'm still trying to figure out how that makes any goddamn sense. I'm also not sure it's a dig to say a guy is motivated to ball out and land a big contract once he hits free agency. That happens with almost every player in the NBA in a contract year. He's also not a max guy like Dinwiddie suggests, as his deal was only 3/39M. The whole thing was very odd and kind of lame in terms of trying to talk shit/start a beef.
The beauty of 2023 is you knew Kuzma wasn't going to just let this slide. He did what everyone who may or may not be a little triggered does. He hopped on Twitter and unleashed a Twitter thread. Let's have a look
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I mean….Kuzma cooked him. A couple of nice shots in there from the 11-13 record, to the trades, the Wizards tenure dig, and finally, the crypto stuff. I've seen my fair share of these NBA beefs and I have to say, Kuzma might be a unanimous decision at this point. I know people give him shit and he can be a little cringy at times, but he's definitely improved as a player since his Lakers days and he's not lying, he is about to get the bag this summer. A young stretch 4 who rebounds is exactly what teams need in the NBA in 2023.
And while I don't even want to talk about this because it makes me queasy, Kuzma does have a ring. He had more than a few moments during that playoff run, and it's not as if Dinwiddie lights things up in the postseason or anything. He's only played in 24 career games, averaged 13.8 points, and shot 42% from the floor. Last year was the first time in his career he played more than 5 playoff games in a season.
So maybe, in the end, we're all the losers of this beef? I dunno, I don't really have a dog in this fight and it feels like Kuzma threw the kill shot. Of course this is 2023 and this is Twitter, so I'm sure Dinwiddie won't just sit there and take it.