Despite all his actions and disrespectful words, Dillon Brooks is blaming others for the perception that he is an ‘NBA villain.’
During Saturday’s 111-101 Game 3 Lakers win over the Grizzlies, Brooks hit LeBron James in the groin and it was assessed as a flagrant foul 2.
After being ejected and dominated by LeBron, Brooks declined to speak to the media but he had something to say after practice on Sunday.
“The media making me a villain, the fans making me a villain, that just creates another persona on me,” Brooks said, insinuating that the perception of him influenced the flagrant 2 call.
Even if the media and fans have labeled Brooks a villain, after Game 2 he said of James:
“I don’t care – he’s old. You know what I mean? “I was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears. I don’t respect no one until they come and give me 40.”
That was just the latest in his string of bad behaviors. This season alone, he has also had
ongoing beef with the Warriors (spanning back to last season after he pushed Gary Payton II and broke his wrist), got into it courtside with Shannon Sharpe, was ejected after hitting Donovan Mitchell in the groin, blew kisses to an injured Luka Doncic and said he’s avoiding the matchup, said Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard are not real veterans and to top it all off, pushed over a cameraman and injured him.
So maybe the fans and media have labeled Brooks as a villain, but it doesn’t come without reason.
Read more: LeBron “Unfazed” By Dillon Brooks