Spencer Dinwiddie on picking Lakers: 'They know how to win' - ESPN

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — After completing his first practice with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, Spencer Dinwiddie walked off the court and explained to a throng of reporters why he chose to come to L.A. rather than the Dallas Mavericks after being traded to the Toronto Raptors, and subsequently waived last week.

«The two situations kind of felt like this: Let's say you were a kid and you got your ass whupped by the bully,» Dinwiddie said. «Dallas would've been like your momma being like, 'It's OK, baby. Don't worry about it.' Lakers are like your dad: 'Nah, you better go out there and fight 'til you win.' You feel me? And I just felt like that was what I needed at the time.

»I'm a big believer in kind of doing what you need to do at whatever time it is."

Dinwiddie was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to Toronto at the deadline then was bought out of his contract before clearing waivers Saturday afternoon, opening the door for him to sign for the $1.55 million remaining portion of the Lakers' non-tax midlevel exception for the rest of the season.

Returning to Dallas would have been the path of least resistance. He was traded there in February 2022 and helped the team reach the Western Conference finals, teaming with star Luka Doncic and coach Jason Kidd to upset the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in the second round by scoring 30 points in Game 7 on Phoenix's home court.

Coming to the Lakers with a coach in Darvin Ham whom he's never played for, a star in the 39-year-old LeBron James who is trying to orchestrate another Finals run and a fanbase that isn't satisfied by anything short of a championship is more of a pressure cooker.

Add in the fact that, as an L.A. native, he'll have personal expectations to perform for the hometown