Memphis Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks made headlines when he called out LA Lakers superstar LeBron James after Game 2 of their first-round series. Brooks then proceeded to get ejected in the third quarter of Game 3 for hitting James in the groin area.
This is just the latest in a series of controversial comments and actions from Brooks, who led the NBA in technical fouls (18) this season. Due to his provocative nature, the 27-year-old now has a reputation as one of the NBA’s premier villains.
However, according to Brooks, his reputation is the result of fans and the media portraying him in a negative light.
During the Grizzlies’ post-practice media availability session on Sunday, he spoke about his villain persona, via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
“The media making me a villain, the fans making me a villain, that just creates another persona on me,” Dillon Brooks said.
After calling out James, Brooks finished Game 3 with just seven points, two rebounds and one steal on 3-for-13 (23.1%) shooting over 19 minutes. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies trailed by as many as 29 points before losing 111-101 at Crypto.com Arena.
Memphis now trails the series 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Monday night. So most would agree that Brooks’ comments about James backfired big time.
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James on Game 3 win over Memphis Grizzlies
Despite the LA Lakers throttling the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 3, LeBron James insisted postgame that it was not a statement game.
Many expected James to seek revenge on Diillon Brooks for his comments about him being old and past his prime. Brooks even said that he was “poking the bear” with his comments. However, according to James, he just wanted his team to play well and get a win:
“I didn’t make a statement,” James said.
“I’ve been doing this too long. I’m not making any statements. We had the opportunity to come home and play well on our home floor, and we did that. No statement was made. We just wanted to play well, and we got a win. I don’t need to make statements.”
James finished with 25 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block on 50.0% shooting in Game 3.
Also read: “He’s not worried about getting 40” – Austin Reaves implies LeBron James unaffected by Dillon Brooks’ comments
