Feb. 2, 2026, 7:30 p.m. CT
The Oklahoma City Thunder have ruffled a lot of feathers on their way to the NBA throne. When you win the Larry O’Brien trophy, you’re naturally going to upset other teams and their fanbases. It’s what happens in the sports world.
One of OKC’s funnier beefs revolves around a trivial tradition. I’m sure you’ve seen it by now, but when the Thunder enjoy a win, they do so as a group. Whether with Thunder reporter Nick Gallo or a national TV person, they huddle around the person being asked the questions.
It’s been something the Thunder have done for a couple of seasons now. The display of teammate chemistry has annoyed some folks as ‘corny’ or whatever buzzword is popular that week for the social media zeitgeist. And if you ask the Memphis Grizzlies, they felt like they had the tradition stolen from them.
Dillon Brooks was the latest name to say he believes that. He spent the first six seasons of his career there. Because of that, he played a vital role in Memphis’ surprise rise to a contender. Alongside Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., they had two straight 50-plus win seasons with a couple of playoff runs.
Brooks reflected on his time with the Grizzlies in an online stream. Even though their marriage ended in an ugly divorce, I’m sure he fondly remembers his time there, as that’s where he established himself as an NBA player. On the Phoenix Suns, he’s quickly become a fan favorite who’s averaged a career-best 21.1 points.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
“That squad we had in Memphis, we could’ve been on the OKC wave. OKC is on our wave. All that stuff they be doing, that’s what we were doing. They just copied it,” Brooks said. “Tried to steal our whole s–t. You know when they do their postgame and the whole team comes? We were doing that first.”
I mean, sure. It doesn’t really matter. Not really worth the back and forth on who originated the postgame interview tradition. If you’re the Grizzlies, I’d be upset that’s all that era is known for — not for actual on-court success or NBA accolades. Just something silly that happens after wins.
In the same stream, Brooks took a shot at Lu Dort. When asked which team hacked the most, he said the Thunder. That’s another chronically-online criticism that has made the rounds on social media over the years. That OKC apparently gets away with fouling more than any other team with their league-best defense.
Of course, you have to know Brooks is also a proud troll. He has a decent relationship with Dort, as both represented Team Canada in the 2024 Olympics. They’ve likely grown to know each other because of international play and having similar career arcs.
“OKC. 100%,” Brooks said. “Lu Dort, if you’re watching, Lu Dort, you’re a hack.”
This is just classic Brooks. He’s known to get under opponents’ skin. That’s kinda his whole gimmick. Credit him for being a winning player at every stop. But it’s difficult to take these criticisms seriously on a surface level because of his history of being antagonistic.