As a self-described “tech guy with a jumper,” Dinwiddie has been making moves on and off the court since joining the NBA in 2014.
Spencer Dinwiddie is no stranger to forging his own path.
As a high school senior out of California, the under-recruited Dinwiddie found himself choosing between the University of Colorado and Harvard. However, with his sights on the NBA, he settled on the Buffaloes as the way to turn his hoop dreams into a reality.
Through it all, Dinwiddie has continued to develop those Ivy League smarts. The 29-year-old Dallas Mavericks guard is one of the most outspoken proponents of cryptocurrency in the NBA. And, this week, he inked a deal with China’s 361 Degrees, becoming the most recent athlete who has looked beyond big-name US brands to find a shoe sponsorship.
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The Dinwiddie Brand
Age: 28
Height: 6-foot-6
2014 Draft Position: Round 2, 38th Overall
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Current Contract: 3 years, $54 million
Key endorsements: 361 Degrees, Brein Fuel, Coin Cloud
Twitter followers: 119.5K
Instagram followers: 292K
In late 2021, Dinwiddie signed a shoe contract with 361 Degrees, joining the Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon as part of the 361 team. Prior to this point, Dinwiddie had been producing and selling his own shoes via his personal website.
Dinwiddie becomes the most recent athlete to ink a deal beyond the bounds of big brands like Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and Puma, opening the door for the next generation of athletes to expand their options.
Blockchain Blazer
Dinwiddie has made a name for himself as one of the NBA’s earliest adopters of cryptocurrency.
After a breakout season in 2018, Dinwiddie secured a three-year, $34 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets. Having been interested in crypto and the blockchain for some time, he then tried to “democratize” his contract with the creation of DREAM Fan Shares. He saw it as an opportunity to revolutionize fan engagement and maximize player empowerment. However, the NBA ran interference, threatening to dissolve his contract on the grounds of gambling.
This setback did not diminish Dinwiddie’s entrepreneurial spirit. If anything, it inspired him to find alternative outlets to bring his blockchain interests to life.
In October 2020, he launched the blockchain-backed influencer platform Calaxy, which brands itself as “The open social marketplace for creators, by creators.’’ Dinwiddie developed the app with oversight from some of the best in the crypto space, including Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou and execs from Coinbase.
The company successfully raised $7.5 million earlier this year, attracting support and involvement from big names, including entertainer Teyana Taylor, Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliot, and former Bachelor Matt James.
Dinwiddie had a major off-season, securing a three-year $62 million contract with the Wizards. But he also made headlines when he tried to cash in on the NBA’s jersey patch deal, and made a $12 million bid to have Calaxy positioned on the Wizards’ uniforms.
The league ultimately blocked the deal, as it was thought to be in violation of NBA conflict of interest rules.
At only 28 years old, Dinwiddie is just getting started. As his NBA career enters its next chapter in DC, his off-court endeavors will continue to test the boundaries of new possibilities.
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