Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie is the reigning Skills Challenge Champion. But, for some reason, he didn’t get so much as an invitation to come back and defend his title.
While a skills challenge snub is hardly something to hang your hat over, there has been a pretty strong feeling of disappointment throughout the NBA — not just with Dinwiddie’s snub, but with other stars around the league.
Pelicans Rookie Jaxson Hayes had to literally apologize for his NSFW rant about his snub from the Rising Stars game. Devin Booker, when asked about being left out of the All-Star game, complained that the NBA was political and “not the game he fell in love with.”
Dinwiddie is just the latest to throw a tantrum of displeasure towards, what he feels, is some serious disrespect.
(via Zach Braziller of The New York Post)
“Look at it like this: I won the Skills Challenge and didn’t get invited back,” Dinwiddie said after the Nets’ 133-118 win over the Bulls at Barclays Center on Friday night. “What does that f—in’ say? Have you ever met a winner of an award not get invited back? Now that s–t is pretty crazy. Folks don’t care about me. I’m Spencer. Quit playin.’ ”
It’s a true shame that Dinwiddie won’t be given a chance to defend his title. And if the NBA really didn’t even offer him an invitation, that’s a crime.
But is there really something more at play here? The reactions from players around the NBA seem to indicate something more is happening behind the scenes.
At this point, who really knows…?
