Dillon Brooks taunts LeBron James as ‘old’ after Grizzlies’ victory, claims ‘I poke bears’ in Game 2
In a stunning upset, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 107-104 in Game 2 of their NBA playoff series. But it was the post-game comments from Grizzlies’ shooting guard Dillon Brooks that stole the show.
Brooks, who had a game-high 31 points, made some controversial remarks about Lakers’ star LeBron James. “He’s old,” Brooks said of James in a post-game interview. “He’s still a great player, but he’s not as quick as he used to be. I just took advantage of that.”
The 26-year-old Canadian went on to say that he deliberately tries to rile up his opponents. “I poke bears,” Brooks said. “That’s just who I am. I like to get under people’s skin and make them angry. That’s when I know I’ve got them right where I want them.”
Brooks’ comments are sure to add some spice to what was already an intriguing series. The Grizzlies, who finished the regular season with a 38-34 record, are the underdogs against the defending NBA champions. But after their Game 2 win, they will be feeling confident heading into Game 3.
Meanwhile, James, who finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in Game 2, will likely use Brooks’ comments as motivation going forward. The 36-year-old is still widely considered one of the best players in the league, and he will be looking to prove that he can still dominate despite his age.
It remains to be seen whether Brooks’ trash talk will come back to haunt him in the rest of the series. But one thing is for sure: this matchup just got a lot more interesting.
