Dillon Brooks didn’t mince words regarding Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James following the Phoenix Suns’ 125-108 win over L.A. on Monday night.
Brooks seemed to revel in getting under James’ skin during the game, telling reporters, “He likes people that bow down. I don’t bow down. So, that either entices him or it aggravates him—either-or.”
Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, there was a moment during the third quarter when James had some words for Brooks near the Suns’ bench, continuing a longstanding rivalry between one of the all-time greats and one of the sport’s best agitators.
Brooks has often tried to instigate James during LeBron’s tenure with the Lakers. The most notable instance came during the NBA playoffs in 2023 while Brooks was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.
At the time, Brooks famously said, “I poke bears,” and called LeBron “old,” but the Lakers went on to win the series in six games.
Although the results haven’t always been ideal for Brooks at Crypto.com Arena, he expressed his affinity for playing at the venue Monday, telling reporters, “I love playing in this arena. They show me a lot of love in here, and I reciprocate it back. I’m a competitor, man. I don’t really like the smiling and the giggling and all that, so just letting them know that I’m here. And I’m still rising.”
After his time in Memphis, Brooks spent two seasons with the Houston Rockets, but the 29-year-old veteran now seems to have truly found a home in Phoenix.
Arriving during the offseason as part of the trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston, Brooks has been a revelation for the Suns.
In 16 games, Brooks is averaging a career-high 22.3 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 three-pointers made, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals.
On Monday, Brooks led the Suns with 33 points on 15-of-26 shooting, out-dueling James, who was limited to just 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting.
Suns-Lakers Full Highlights
LeBron missed the Lakers’ first 14 games this season due to sciatica, and he hasn’t been his dominant self since returning, averaging just 15.2 points per game.
Over the course of an entire season, that would represent a new career low for the NBA’s all-time scoring leader by a significant margin.
Despite James’ low scoring output, the Lakers have continued to thrive thanks largely to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, but they weren’t enough to put L.A. over the top on Monday.
Along with Brooks’ 33 points, the Suns got 28 points out of Collin Gillespie, allowing them to take down the star-studded Lakers with a fairly unheralded cast of characters.
The Lakers still have the second-best record in the Western Conference this season after the loss at 15-5, while the Suns improved to 13-9, making them one of the league’s most pleasant surprises after going just 36-46 last season.