NEW YORK _ Spencer Dinwiddie was not voted an All-Star _ not by the fans as a starter, nor the coaches as a reserve.
But on All-Star Weekend, Dinwiddie was in Chicago as the Nets' representative in the Skills Challenge. As part of his itinerary, he found himself at a private event for Panini, the official trading card company of the NBA, signing cards and memorabilia before they're distributed to those in attendance.
There were posters of Zion Williamson and Ja Morant. There were posters of Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant. There was even a poster of Kevin Durant _ but there was no such art dedicated to the man in the building.
Dinwiddie understands the business of basketball: "The NBA is a revenue generating entity," he says. "You want to put people up there that are going to make the NBA money. The likelihood I make the NBA much money is probably looooow."
That's how Dinwiddie likes it. At the All-Star event, he's cloaked in all black, floating through the building like a shadow. Turn your head and you might miss him. Squint a little harder and you realize that's not a shadow _ it's a person.
In a way, that sums up the Spencer Dinwiddie experience on the court. Dinwiddie isn't the biggest name in basketball, nor is he the highest flyer or the sharpest-shooter. But blink for a second, and you're on his hip as he lays the ball in the basket.
