On this episode of The HoopsHype Podcast, Alex Kennedy is joined by Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie. They discuss a variety of topics including Brooklyn’s turnaround, his thumb injury, the Nets’ pursuit of star free agents, whether Dinwiddie will recruit for Brooklyn, his decision to reject Harvard, buying Bitcoin before it blew up, his retirement goal of building an Iron Man suit and more. Time-stamps are below!

:45: Dinwiddie has been out after undergoing surgery on his injured thumb. He provides an update on his recovery.

1:20: Several years ago, Dinwiddie bought Bitcoin. He discusses his interest in cryptocurrency and whether he made money when Bitcoin blew up.

2:20: Dinwiddie scored a 1400 out of 1600 on his SATs and he was recruited by Harvard. He talks about why he ultimately rejected Harvard and how he went all-in on basketball, which was the much riskier career path.

5:25: Coming out of high school, Dinwiddie was merely a three-star recruit so making it to the NBA was no sure thing. He talks about using his high-school ranking as motivation.

7:05: Every step of the way – from high school to college to the NBA – Dinwiddie has faced a lot of doubters and inevitably proved them wrong.

10:15: The Detroit Pistons didn’t give Dinwiddie much of a chance to play and then they traded him to the Chicago Bulls after two seasons. Dinwiddie admits that ever since, he has tried to make them pay for that move.

11:40: Dinwiddie often gets into it with New York Knicks fans on social media. He discusses the intense Nets-Knicks rivalry and his craziest interactions with Knicks fans.

14:30: Dinwiddie has done a great job of sharing his personality and sense of humor on social media, which has helped his personal brand. He talks about how social media can be really beneficial for players, if used correctly.

16:00: The Nets have started to surface as a possible destination for star free agents; for example, Brooklyn showed up on Jimmy Butler’s wish list. Dinwiddie talks about the Nets’ pursuit of star free agents and whether he’d help recruit players to Brooklyn.

18:15: What did head coach Kenny Atkinson and general manager Sean Marks and the players do to change the culture in Brooklyn? What needed to change behind the scenes?

17:05: Dinwiddie shares what he’d say to upcoming free agents who are considering the Nets.

20:20: D’Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert have taken their respective games to the next level this year, which has really helped Brooklyn. Dinwiddie talks about their development and how he complements that duo.

22:35: Once Dinwiddie gets back, we’ll finally see the Nets at full strength. Dinwiddie believes Brooklyn is better than their record indicates and that they may be able to make noise in the playoffs by upsetting a higher seed.

23:30: Dinwiddie says this season is the most fun he’s had during his NBA career, and he raves about the team’s chemistry.

26:25: After signing a three-year contract extension, can Dinwiddie see himself remaining with the Nets for the remainder of his career?

28:35: When Dinwiddie retires, he wants to build a fully functional Iron Man suit. He says he plans on taking engineering courses and putting a team together so he has some help. He is 100 percent serious. He breaks down exactly what he wants and what he’ll need to do to turn this dream into reality.

30:45: Other retirement goals for Dinwiddie are purchasing his own private island and traveling the world to learn how to cook a wide variety of foods from different cultures.

35:40: Dinwiddie created his own sneaker (K8IROS 8.1) – from the initial sketch to the final design to the production. He talks about why he decided to do this, what the process was like.

This episode is sponsored by Seat Geek! Be sure to download the Seat Geek app (or visit their website) and enter the promo code HOOPSHYPE for $10 off your first ticket purchase!