Dillon Brooks poked the bear again and enjoyed every bit of it.
Brooks lit up the Los Angeles Lakers for 33 points in the Phoenix Suns’ 125-108 win Monday night, and his prolific scoring wasn’t the most entertaining aspect of his performance at his favorite road arena.
Brooks has been treated with disdain at Crypto.com Arena since the first round of the playoffs in 2023, when he boasted about poking bears and dismissively called LeBron James old after the Memphis Grizzlies’ Game 2 win. Brooks struggled the rest of the series his final games in a Memphis uniform as the Lakers eliminated the Grizzlies in six games.
Brooks agitated the crowd and James throughout Monday’s contest. He talked trash relentlessly and celebrated several of his buckets with animated gestures strikingly similar to some of James’ favorite celebrations. Brooks stared down James after a transition dunk in the second quarter and twice did an exaggerated shoulder shrug, prompting jeers from fans.
Competitor thrives on hostile environment
Brooks expressed his love for playing in the arena, noting the crowd shows him a lot of attention and he reciprocates it back. The 29-year-old described himself as a competitor who doesn’t like smiling and giggling, preferring to let opponents know he’s present and still rising.
James lingered by the Suns bench during a timeout late in the third quarter and barked at Brooks, who took great satisfaction in getting under the 40-year-old all-time leading scorer’s skin.
Brooks characterized James as someone who likes people that bow down. Since Brooks doesn’t bow down, that either entices James or aggravates him one or the other.
Brooks’ energy and antics amuse and inspire the Suns, who are off to a refreshing 13-9 start, an impressive rebound from last season’s 36-46 record.
Teammates embrace the villain mentality
Phoenix point guard Collin Gillespie, who scored a career-high 28 points Monday and whom Brooks has nicknamed “Villain Jr.” due to his tenacity, admitted he sometimes tries telling Brooks to chill out, but thinks Brooks just blacks out. That’s Dillon Brooks. It fuels the team. Obviously, they love when he gets going.
Gillespie described Brooks as the tone-setter who brings consistent energy every night. He’s fearless, doesn’t back down from anybody, and will go toe-to-toe with anyone regardless of reputation or status.
Brooks had plenty to talk about, leading the Suns to a win despite star guard Devin Booker exiting after 10 minutes due to a strained right groin. Phoenix snapped the Lakers’ seven-game winning streak, and James finished with only 10 points, barely extending his NBA-record streak of 1,297 regular-season games scoring in double figures.
Coach recognizes special motivation
First-year Suns coach Jordan Ott called Brooks the ultimate competitor who’s talked a lot about coming back into this building. He had a tough playoffs a couple years ago. This means something different to him. The team feels that as a group. This means something different to Brooks, so they obviously follow his lead.
Brooks scored 23 points in the first half, including 15 in the second quarter, helping the Suns take a 14-point halftime lead. He made 10 of 11 shots from the floor during one span, exchanging trash talk with courtside fans on several occasions.
Brooks noted that courtside fans wanted him to keep shooting, so he kept shooting. He finished 15-of-26 from the floor and is averaging a career-best 22.3 points per game this season.
James avoids addressing antagonist
Brooks’ name did not come up during James’ postgame media availability. But it’s not difficult to discern how James feels about Brooks based on his body language and reactions throughout the game.
After the Lakers cleared the bench in the fourth quarter with the game decided, Brooks backed down Bronny James and was called for a travel before attempting a turnaround jumper. The television broadcast flashed to Bronny’s father on the Lakers’ bench as LeBron raised his right hand over his head with his thumb down a clear gesture of disapproval.
History fuels the rivalry
The 2023 playoff series between Brooks’ Grizzlies and the Lakers created lasting animosity. Brooks’ trash talk after Game 2 particularly calling James old backfired spectacularly as he struggled the remainder of the series while Los Angeles eliminated Memphis.
That failure has clearly motivated Brooks to prove himself every time he faces the Lakers. Monday’s 33-point explosion represents vindication for someone who became a villain in Los Angeles through his own words and actions.
Brooks’ willingness to antagonize the league’s biggest star in his own building demonstrates fearlessness that teammates admire. While some players might shy away from confrontation with a player of James’ stature, Brooks leans into it, using the hostility as fuel for elite performances.
Suns benefit from Brooks’ edge
Phoenix’s 13-9 start represents a dramatic improvement from last season’s disappointing 36-46 record. Brooks’ competitive fire and willingness to be the villain contributes significantly to that turnaround.
His tone-setting energy establishes the physical, competitive mindset that successful teams require. When your best perimeter defender also provides elite scoring while antagonizing opponents, that creates enormous value beyond statistics.
Gillespie’s career-high 28 points alongside Brooks’ 33 demonstrates how Brooks’ energy elevates teammates. When one player competes with that intensity, it raises everyone’s level and creates a contagious competitive spirit.
The ultimate professional agitator
Brooks has perfected the art of productive antagonism. He talks trash, celebrates demonstratively, and gets under opponents’ skin all while backing it up with elite two-way play. The 15-of-26 shooting performance shows he’s not just talking; he’s executing at a high level.
His ability to mimic James’ celebrations while staring him down represents psychological warfare. By using James’ own signature moves against him, Brooks creates added irritation that clearly bothered the Lakers star based on his reactions.
The exaggerated shoulder shrug after the transition dunk a move strongly associated with James was particularly calculated. Brooks knew exactly what he was doing, and the crowd’s jeers confirmed it landed as intended.
Redemption complete
Monday’s performance erases the memory of Brooks’ 2023 playoff struggles against these same Lakers. Instead of being remembered for talking trash then failing to back it up, Brooks now has a signature revenge game that validates his villain persona.
The 23 first-half points built Phoenix’s commanding lead while Booker sat injured. Brooks carried the offensive load without the Suns’ best player, demonstrating his capability to be the primary option when needed.
His career-best 22.3 points per game average suggests this wasn’t a fluke performance but rather evidence of genuine offensive growth. Brooks has evolved from elite defender who talks trash to two-way star who backs up every word with production.
Lakers left frustrated
The Lakers’ seven-game winning streak ending in this fashion with Brooks antagonizing James while dropping 33 points adds insult to the injury of losing. James’ 10-point performance represents his worst output in recent memory, suggesting Brooks’ defense and trash talk affected him.
Los Angeles falls to 15-5 but must address how they allowed Brooks to dominate them again. The psychological warfare clearly impacted their performance, creating frustration that manifested in chippy exchanges and poor execution.
Brooks walked into Crypto.com Arena seeking redemption and statement victory. He left having accomplished both while reminding everyone why he’s the NBA’s most entertaining villain.