Spencer Dinwiddie is an elite role-playing point guard who averaged 20 points per game in a playoff run to the Western Conference Finals last season for the Dallas Mavericks.
While talking about the impact of another ring on LeBron James‘ legacy, Dinwiddie made a profound statement on the realities that 90% of NBA players deal with.
“If you’re not top-5 like all time, 2 years or 3 years, they’re gonna forget about you. Let’s be real about who we’re talking about. If you didn’t change the culture like AI or Steph Curry with the 3s or you’re not Kobe, Mike, or Bron, do we talk about Penny Hardaway? Do we talk about T-Mac? Brandon Roy other than injuries? These are monsters, we’re talking about the greats. If Shaq isn’t on TNT every night, we may not talk about him as much and he’s the most dominant player in history. You’re going to have to define success for yourself. I understand ring chasing for them because one more ring for Bron is between him being the GOAT or not.”
“One more ring for Bron can be the difference between him being the GOAT or not.”
Spencer Dinwiddie on ring culture in the NBA
(via @TaylorRooks) pic.twitter.com/kbjxiGC2MZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 23, 2023
Dinwiddie is correct and understands the position even his career is in. He’s not even at the level of the players he mentioned but is relevant for his time as a solid NBA point guard, even though he never became an All-Star. Success varies from player to player because ultimately, securing the financial future of their family and generations after that may be the success they set out to achieve.
Greatness Isn’t Easy To Come By
Being an NBA player and being an all-time great are extremely different. Very few players in the league can even aspire to reach all-time status. Winning championships matter for those players. Damian Lillard could be regarded in a whole different light if he had even one championship to his name. The conversation around Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s greatness changed after he won the title in 2021. This is what always happens in these discussions.
For a player like Dinwiddie, even being a high-production third or fourth star on a championship team may be the ultimate nod to the success he enjoyed in the NBA. Obviously, the million-dollar contracts make it easy for these players to feel successful, but the on-court legacies of these players are determined by how fans remember them. It seems winning a championship can permanently change how people talk about players from any era.
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