Dillon Brooks came into the spotlight after the Memphis Grizzlies’ rocky period last season. His tendency of gratuitous trash-talking culminated in clashes that even involved LeBron James, which led to his widespread ostracization in the NBA.
All of these things added up to the Grizzlies’ playoff loss, and eventually led to Brooks being shunned by his own club. Dillon recently talked about the beef between him and LeBron and made a shocking confession.
What happened between Brooks and LeBron?
When the Memphis Grizzlies lost their first game of the 2023 NBA Playoffs to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference first round, tensions between the two teams flared. Forward Dillon Brooks of the Grizzlies caused a stir by making “unsavory comments” towards forward LeBron James of the Lakers.
After the Grizzlies won Game 2, Brooks continued the fight by calling James, then 38, “old.” To elaborate, Brooks said, “I poke bears. I don’t respect anyone until they come and give me 40.”
Brooks was dismissed from Game 3 of the series for a flagrant foul after punching James in the groin 17 seconds into the second half. Brooks, unfazed by the backlash, continued to defend his words, which he said were meant to highlight his competitive spirit.
LeBron James brushed off the verbal altercation, saying that he is more concerned with the team’s performance than with personal conflicts. As a result of Brooks’s refusal to speak to the media after a number of games, the NBA eventually fined him $25,000.
Dillon Brooks breaks silence on post-LeBron James chapter
Dillon Brooks’ outlook on last year’s turbulent playoff run doesn’t seem to have changed since he switched teams. “I feel like I always had him,” said Brooks.”That series was thrown upon me cause of the words that I say but I been saying things all year and we won 50 games.”
Dillon Brooks, on LeBron and his villain role — pic.twitter.com/zu560paXNA
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) August 24, 2023
Despite constant criticism from those who claim he doesn’t back up his words with action, Brooks continues to show no signs of wavering. He continues, “At first I didn’t like it and that’s why I said I didn’t like the villain role ’cause it affected the game of basketball. But now it doesn’t affect me, it’s just a thing that’s part of my life.”
Despite his limited professional successes, Brooks has frequently displayed an inclination toward overconfidence, even making massive remarks about great players. Despite his defensive capabilities and high energy, many consider him a burden because of his poor shooting and scoring abilities.
What is your take on Brook’s approach to the game? Share with us in the comments!
