The rivalry between LeBron James and Dillon Brooks took another entertaining twist Monday night, and this time, Bronny James joined the storyline. During the Los Angeles Lakers’ 125-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns, Brooks found himself matched up against Bronny on a possession late in the game.

The moment quickly became a viral flashpoint when Brooks failed to score on the rookie guard, leading to LeBron reacting from the sideline with a dramatic thumbs-down gesture, a clear message that the defensive stop belonged to the James family.

The exchange added yet another layer to one of the NBA’s most entertaining individual matchups, fueled largely by Brooks’ ongoing attempts to get under LeBron’s skin since their 2023 playoff confrontation in Memphis.

Brooks, however, got the last laugh on the scoreboard. The Suns forward poured in 33 points, including a relentless 23-point first half where he attacked, trash-talked, and fed off the Crypto.com Arena crowd.

With Devin Booker sidelined, Brooks took over the offense, burying jumpers, finishing at the rim, and mimicking LeBron’s signature celebrations, including the shoulder shrug and emphatic stare-downs.

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Phoenix also got a monster performance from Collin Gillespie, who scored a career-high 28 points, with 16 coming in the fourth quarter as the Suns closed the game and snapped the Lakers’ seven-game win streak.

For the Lakers, the loss wasn’t just about the final score; it was about control slipping away on both ends. LeBron finished frustrated, the bench grew tense, and the building had flashbacks to Brooks’ infamous “I poke bears” quote from Memphis.

Even so, one play, Bronny clamping Brooks for a stop, provided a rare bright spot. The rookie’s composure earned the approval of the one person whose opinion matters most: his father.

LeBron’s thumbs-down may not change the box score, but in the rivalry’s ongoing chess match, it was a subtle reminder:

The King is still watching.