LeBron James, once a legend on the basketball court, is now called old at every step, or rather dribble. Many infuriating comments are thrown around on the court, and James became a victim of a recent tirade by Dillion Brooks.
In round one of the Memphis Grizzlies’ campaign against the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooks directed some controversial statements toward James.
After the Game 2 win of the Grizzlies, Brooks participated in a post-game press conference where he took a jab at LeBron James. He termed James as “old” and “tired” and went on to say, “I poke bears. I don’t respect no one until they come and give me 40 [points].”
It looks like the win had gone to Brook’s head. His statement aged very badly as the Lakers picked up their pace from Game 3.
Brooks caused trouble in Game 3 when he hit James in the groin and was ejected. However, he failed to learn a lesson. He went on to perform badly even in the following Game, and his inability to knock down shots caused the Grizzlies to lose many points.
On top of the game that was gradually becoming harder for the Grizzlies, Dillion refused to speak to the reporters, and this repeated behavior earned him a fine of $25,000.
It was not only Lakers fans who got a distaste for Dillion because it looks like even the Grizzlies are tired of him. Soon after the game, the Memphis Grizzlies informed that Dillion Brooks would not be brought back “under any circumstances.” As of now, he is an unrestricted free agent.
The Grizzlies did not give up on their player due to a single game but due to a string of controversies and mistakes. Last season, he delivered a foul that broke Gary Payton II’s elbow. He was suspended for a game due to the injury that the Golden State Warriors guard received.
Even this season, he hit Donoval Mitchell from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mitchell was hit in the groin by Brooks. His notoriety knows no boundaries, as he even shoved a camera person to the ground ad faced a $35,000 fine.
A bonus point for surpassing a technical foul limit also goes to Dillion. None of these incidents positively affect the Grizzlies, but teams are sometimes ready to put up with misconduct in exchange for a good score chart.
Dillion Brooks, however, averaged 14.3 points in this campaign, which is his fewest since his second season in the league. He also shot only 39.6 percent from the field, which is at an all-time low for his career.
While Brooks’ playing capacity is not something to be joked about, his various misdeeds have taken a toll on his image. The drastic reduction in his score percentage meant he became a liability. Add to that the name-calling and repeated fouls, and it was only a matter of time till severe steps were taken against him.
As a basketball fan, what is your opinion on the matter? Did Dillion Brooks deserve a termination, or did he deserve another chance?