Feb 13, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) warms up prior to the game against the Detroit Pistons at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Spencer Dinwiddie's NBA title incentive might be lowest in sports history

By Sai Mohan | Last updated 2/14/24

If the Lakers hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June, Spencer Dinwiddie stands to earn a bonus of $1.

The unique bonus stems back to the three-year contract he signed with the Washington Wizards in 2021. According to Dinwiddie, he agreed to that specific amount after his agent, Jason Glushon, felt it would be hilarious to incentivize his client to do the impossible -- lead the lowly Wizards to a title.

"So, in my last deal, there were a series of bonuses tied to winning and stuff like that, one of those things being the dollar championship bonus," Dinwiddie said, via Sports Illustrated. "A lot of people thought it was kind of funny at the time when I signed with the Wizards, but me and Glushon basically made a deal that we were going to keep it in whatever deal I signed—if possible—going forward. It’s kind of like a thing me and him bond over."

Spencer Dinwiddie explains the $1 contract incentive bonus if the Lakers win the championship as sort of an inside joke that him and his agent, Jason Glushon of GSM, concocted pic.twitter.com/a7ni5HN28j
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 12, 2024

When Dinwiddie signed with the Lakers earlier this month, his hometown team agreed to carry forward the tradition. And now that Dinwiddie is playing for a title contender, the hefty bonus of $1 could be there for the taking.

"Now that I’m actually on a team that has championship aspirations, people are like, 'Why the hell would you do a dollar?' But it has more to do with the ties between me and my agent than anything monetary."

Dinwiddie made an instant impact in his Lakers debut Tuesday night in a 125-111 win over the Pistons. The veteran guard finished with six points, seven assists, and two rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench. At various points in the game, Lakers coach Darvin Ham fielded the three-guard lineup of Dinwiddie, D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves. It remains to be seen if the strategy works against bigger teams in the West such as the Timberwolves and Nuggets.

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