LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are keeping their focus on basketball, not Dillon Brooks, ahead of their Game 3 matchup vs. the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Brooks spent much of the Grizzlies' 103-93 Game 2 win — in which he was outscored 12 to 28 by LeBron — playing his usual role as WWE heel. He attempted to goad LeBron with words, bumps, and stares, largely to no avail. The one exception was a brief exchange in front of the Lakers sideline before a timeout, in which LeBron told Brooks he was “dumb” for picking up his fourth foul, per Brooks … and called Brooks a “m*therf*ckin' bum.”
Afterward, Brooks said he was unconcerned about giving LeBron chalkboard material as the series shifts back to Los Angeles.
“I don't care — he's old. You know what I mean?. I was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears. I don't respect no one until they come and give me 40.”
(LeBron is shooting 61.1% when matched up with Brooks so far in this series.)
Brooks' on-brand remark came after LeBron conducted his postgame media availability, so Friday's practice marked the first opportunity for James to field questions about it. When asked if he had a formal response to Brooks, LeBron curtly replied, “no.” He said there are “no rules” to trash talk, which he said has never impacted the outcome of a playoff series.
Reporter: "Have you ever been part of a Playoff series where trash talk actually impacted the outcome?"
LeBron: "The game is won in between the four lines. Always has. Always will be.”
(via @MarkG_Medina)pic.twitter.com/xxY1lH8XsR
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 21, 2023
Finally, after seemingly losing a bit of patience with the Brooks-centric questions — he answered several non-Brooks questions to start — he cut off his media session before adding:
“Tomorrow’s gonna be a great game. I’m not here for the bullshit. I’m ready to play, and that’s it.”
Rui Hachimura said talking is “all (the Grizzlies) can do. They’re a young team. They want to talk. We don’t care.”
Meanwhile, Darvin Ham wants LeBron and the Lakers need to keep the focus on basketball.
“LeBron needs to come out and do what he’s always done. Just play the right way. Everything else will take care of itself.”
(The Lakers had no issue ignoring Patrick Beverley's incessant attempts at provocations in two matchups with the Chicago Bulls a few weeks back, so I don't think they'll have an issue letting their play do the talking.)
Last Tuesday, Brooks said he was looking forward to bouncing LeBron from the playoffs and thought the Lakers would make a “good” matchup for the Grizzlies. Following the Lakers' Play-In game win, LeBron may have subtly thrown shade at Brooks amid his rapid-fire break-down of the Grizzlies roster.
Dillon Brooks on Tuesday: "I wouldn’t mind playing LeBron in a 7-game series…knock him out right away…that’ll be a good 1st round matchup for us.”
LeBron later: “Dillon Brooks…you can’t disrespect him because he makes shots.”
(Brooks v. LA this season: 11-45 FG, 6-20 from 3) https://t.co/cX7rbKPN35
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) April 12, 2023
The Lakers and Grizzlies are tied 1-1. Saturday will be the first full-capacity Lakers home playoff game since LeBron joined the franchise (and since 2013). Get your popcorn ready.
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