By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
After 11 years in the NBA, Spencer Dinwiddie recently moved to Europe, joining Bayern Munich to play in the EuroLeague.
With each game, he is showing signs of improvement and progress in adjusting to the different style of basketball, and in his last outing against Partizan in Belgrade, the former Brooklyn Nets guard scored 25 points.
Still, Bayern Munich lost to the hosts in a unique atmosphere, with the Belgrade crowd reacting to coach Željko Obradović’s departure after a rough stretch of games for Partizan.
“I understood the context. Words, no. I don’t understand the language, but Lučić was explaining, our strength coach was explaining. Anytime you get 20,000 people on the same page because you’re a great and impactful man… I can’t really speak on what y’all are going through, ’cause I don’t know, but he was a historic coach,” Dinwiddie said after the game to Serbian media.
He emphasized that crowds like that can’t be seen in the NBA.
“No, in the States they don’t riot like that. Loud arenas, yes, of course — but y’all are special.”
He then turned to his adjustment to European basketball.
“We’ve seen in the last couple of games that we were playing better. It took a little adjustment period. I came from the NBA, was disappointed with not being in the NBA, transitioning, learning the group. We had our own coach and everything. I’m looking to keep hitting my stride and hopefully get some wins.”
Dinwiddie also made a comparison between the NBA and EuroLeague.
“The intensity is high, the fan bases are really tribal. It’s great — they bring a lot of energy to the game. It’s just a different style of dance. People think it’s a lesser league; I wouldn’t say that. It’s a completely different style. It’s like I told them — it’s like salsa and ballet. Some people can dance both ways, some can only dance salsa or only ballet. You can be great at one and not great at the other. It’s just a different style.”
The 32-year-old guard credited Bayern Munich’s captain, Vladimir Lučić, for helping him acclimate to the new environment.
“Great leader. He helped me adjust, guided me out there — sometimes we call plays, I forget, things on the fly. Even in this situation, he explained what was going on and the meaning behind it.”
After the defeat in Belgrade, Bayern Munich fell to 5-9 and is 1-6 on the road. How do they intend to bounce back?
“Just staying together. We’ve got the talent to do it. And we gotta defend. If we get stops, we’ve got a chance to beat anybody,” Dinwiddie concluded.