Dillon Brooks calling LeBron ‘old’ is a childish…

Dillon Brooks calling LeBron ‘old’ is a childish insult and also a really dumb idea

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Charles Curtis.

Really, Dillon Brooks? That’s all you’ve got?

C’mon.

After his Memphis Grizzlies took down the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 — with Brooks and his iffy shooting somehow hitting a dagger three-pointer to put the icing on the cake — the agitator known for dirty play in his brief career spoke to reporters. He had this to say when asked about getting in LeBron James’ face and whether he should do that to one of the GOATs: “I don’t care. He’s old. … He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. Should have been saying that earlier on. I poke bears, I don’t respect someone until they give me 40.”

Classic Dillon Brooks on his confrontation with LeBron James: “I don’t care. He’s old. … I poke bears. I don’t respect someone until he gives me 40.”

And Brooks had plenty more to say. pic.twitter.com/uWLONrubPZ

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 20, 2023

That’s just silly and childish. I imagine James hearing that and having a good laugh given that he’s still playing at an MVP-caliber level at age 38.

Here’s the other thing: While James might not have a “and I took that personally” reaction like Michael Jordan would, I can tell you that LeBron has dealt with worse. He’s been hit in the groin by Draymond Green. He’s had his ear blown in by Lance Stephenson. And then he’s won titles.

So I can’t wait for James to step on the court in Los Angeles and torch Brooks and the Grizzlies. Maybe he doesn’t drop 40, but he doesn’t have to. He doesn’t have to prove himself to a professional provocateur, and he’s never given into that.

I think Brooks will regret it, even if it was the dumbest of insults. Then again, it doesn’t ever seem like Brooks regrets anything.