Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Kuzma is the one NBA rivalry that no one saw coming.
They played together in Washington for a half season during the 2021-22 NBA season. Dinwiddie was traded to the Mavericks at the trade deadline and helped them reach the Western Conference Finals. Kuzma remained in Washington, and they finished with a 35-47 overall record.
The beef between the two started back in January when Dinwiddie had some choice words about the way his former Mavericks team played against the Wizards.
“For them, it’s a showcase. They’re over there trying to get paid, not trying to play winning basketball. For a team that has real aspirations and has an MVP, went to the conference finals last year, we have to be better to a man,” said Dinwiddie to a reporter in a postgame interview.
The quote apparently made its way to Kuzma and he went to Twitter to respond in typical Gen Z fashion.
Mavericks lost that game 127-126 and Dinwiddie was traded a few weeks later to the Nets for Kyrie Irving. Dinwiddie gave it a rest until recently.
Dinwiddie Rekindles Kuzma Beef
He went on Fanduel TV’s new show “Run It Back” with Michelle Beadle and reignited the beef with Kuzma. She asked him about the Twitter drama and he didn’t hold back.
“What’s that thing Draymond (Green) just said, where he said ‘insecurity is loud,'” Dinwiddie said. “Basically, here’s what happened. We lost to them, I was on the Mavericks. Obviously we have an MVP caliber guy and we’re trying to be a championship caliber team… so I make a statement about we need to be better. Understanding the culture and how games are kind of played in D.C, saying that’s an unacceptable loss in that fashion. He decides to respond because I guess he felt like it was a shot at him.”
“I wanted to respond,” he continued. “My agent told me to stand down. … Now I’m not in that environment, I’m in the playoffs, he’s not.”
Dinwiddie took a short pause and continued to let Kuzma have it.
“There’s a lot of guys in the NBA that really pour their heart and soul into basketball,” Dinwiddie stated. “If we look at him and the way he approaches life, fame, all that stuff, we can see that his priorities tend to vary. That’s why he dress the way he does, approach basketball the way he does, and the comments he make.”
He continued, “You know that you are there shooting shots to try to get a contract. You are probably not even a third star on a good team, because if you were the Lakers would’ve kept you. Part of the reason you left is to try to make more money.”
Kuzma Claps Back On Social Media
Dinwiddie finished with a simple question to Kuzma, “if you have three max guys, Brad [Bradley Beal], Porzingis, and Kuzma, how do you miss the playoffs? These things don’t make sense unless your priorities aren’t in order.”
The Nets surprised the whole NBA by continuing to make the playoffs after getting rid of Kevin Durant and Irving via trades. Meanwhile, the Wizards have now missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons.
Kuzma clapped back at Dinwiddie with a thread of tweets.
He first wrote, “1.) insecurity is loud? The wizards & I have so much real estate on Dinshittie island. This guy got signed by a team 60ms and was traded before the following season was over.”
“2.) What in the world have you won in this league? Lol you’ve been bounced around like a basketball my boy,” wrote Kuzma.
Kuzma continued, “3.) You can thank KD & Kyrie and the for spearheading 34 wins before the all star break (11-13 after the break) for your playoffs.”
“4.) 2nd option??? More like 2nd point guard Lol my man I watched you for two months at the end of your Wizards tenure (being the second option) average 8-4-4. Sounds good but glad you’re hooping no,” he wrote.
Then, Kuzma delivered the knockout punch by stating that he does have a bag coming and Dinwiddie will
be able to live up to his $54 million contract he signed with Nets during the 2021 offseason.
He wrote in his final tweet, “I just don’t like false narratives w me! People use the way I dress or my celebrity against me. Don’t let my confidence offend your insecurities. I’m a very driven person & strive to get better like I have been my entire career! if you knew my story you’d rock with me more!”
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