Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks was fined $25,000 by the NBA for what the league called “recklessly making contact with Indiana Pacers center Daniel Theis in the groin area.”
The announcement was made by Joe Dumars, executive vice president and head of basketball operations for the league office.
The incident, for which Brooks was assessed a flagrant-two foul and ejected, occurred with 7:27 left in the first quarter of Tuesday’s exhibition opener between the Rockets and Pacers. Even after losing Brooks to the early ejection, Houston went on to win, 122-103.
“I tried to navigate a screen,” Brooks said postgame of the incident with Theis. “I might have tapped him below the waist. But he got right back up. I don’t know. It’s weird that every time it happens to me, I get picked on. I guess it’s part of reputation.”
Dillon Brooks has been fined $25k for "recklessly making contact" with Daniel Theis in the groin area, the NBA announced pic.twitter.com/x4rrYg93Jq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 12, 2023
When asked by a media member if he feels like there is a target on his back, Brooks didn’t hesitate to respond.
“What is the name,” Brooks answered on Tuesday. “What’s my name? My name is ‘Dillon the Villain,’ so I guess.”
Brooks and the Rockets resumed their preseason schedule Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama, versus the New Orleans Pelicans.
