(Photo by Ethan Mito/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)
After beating the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 without superstar guard Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies were riding high with the first-round playoff series between these two teams now tied at one game apiece.
However, Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks took things a step further after the game by taking shots at Lakers superstar LeBron James, which went viral immediately.
Brooks’ comments caused such a stir that it was all anyone could talk about ahead of Game 3 as the series shifted to Los Angeles.
Unfortunately for Brooks, the Grizzlies were dominated from the opening tipoff to the final buzzer, and the controversial forward didn’t even finish the game after he was thrown out due to hitting James below the belt and being assessed a flagrant 2 for his actions.
This didn’t sit well with Brooks as he refused to talk to the media after the game but broke his silence on Sunday, saying the following, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
Dillon Brooks, speaking after practice today, said he thinks the perception of him influenced the flagrant 2 call in Game 3. “The media making me a villain, the fans making me a villain, that just creates another persona on me.”
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 23, 2023
Here are some fan reactions to the comments made by Brooks about his ejection in Game 3 against the Lakers:
Don’t call my king old.
— whristan (@whristan) April 23, 2023
He’s still in character, I see.
— Sports bettor (@TheOneFortyPlus) April 23, 2023
LMAO no way hahaha
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 23, 2023
Who could possibly be responsible for making me a villain? pic.twitter.com/0xIPrlTHuz
— GOAT James (@BronToAD) April 23, 2023
There was no shortage of acting by James after he was hit in a place where no man wants to get hit as he was seen rolling around on the floor as if he was hit by a truck, which undoubtedly played a part in the decision to give Brooks a flagrant 2.
However, Brooks hitting James where he did and doing it so blatantly would prove costly, and he should know that.
There are no excuses for his actions, and now he’s paying the price even though the league didn’t suspend him.
The post Dillon Brooks Speaks Out About Ejection Call appeared first on The Cold Wire.