Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks is an excellent defender, but he’s one of the NBA’s chippiest players, not to mention one of its loosest cannons.
He has an extensive history of dirty play and trash-talking, and some of it involves LeBron James. As a member of the Memphis Grizzlies last season, he called James old during the first round of the playoffs, and then he was ejected in Game 3 after committing a flagrant foul on the Los Angeles Lakers superstar.
The Lakers will visit the Rockets on Wednesday, and Brooks said he will shut down the 38-year-old James and try to leave him tired in crunch time (h/t Lakers Daily).
Dillon Brooks talks about LeBron James:
“Ready to lock him up” 👀
(🎥 @BinkleyHoops)
pic.twitter.com/ObPp5tQtU3— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) November 7, 2023
“Ready to lock him up,” Brooks said of James. “He been shooting the ball well. He been playing well. So, I’m just there to make him tired, make him get into that fourth quarter early.”
The Lakers were planning to trim James’ minutes this season, but due to injuries and poor starts, he’s averaging 35.9 minutes per game. Yet he has still looked fresh and played well down the stretch of each game.
The team may be getting back an important reinforcement that will help it limit James’ minutes and workload. Key reserve forward Rui Hachimura is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game after missing the last four with an eye contusion while also being in concussion protocol.
