Dillon Brooks makes wild claim about potential ejections in Rockets vs Warriors playoffs series

Dillon Brooks has made a name for himself as a fearless defender with a big bag of antics and mind games. Every now and then, Brooks' behavior leads to his ejection, much to the chagrin of his teammates and coaches.

It appears, however, that the eight-year pro is turning over a new leaf. Ahead of the Houston Rockets' first-round showdown against the Golden State Warriors, Brooks was asked by a member of the media to project the number of ejections in this series. Brooks responded with what sounded like a promise:

"I don't know. I'm not gonna get ejected. I'll leave that to somebody else," Brooks said.

To Brooks' credit, he could be setting an example for the younger members of the Houston roster. Entering his fourth playoff run — his first one ever with the Rockets — Brooks is perhaps sending a message to his teammates to prioritize availability over questionable tactics.

Throughout his career, Brooks has been ejected nine times. Four of these occurred in regular season games when he was still with the Memphis Grizzlies, while he's been tossed out three times as a member of the Houston Rockets.

Brooks' last two playoff runs are a precautionary tale here, as he incurred one ejection each in the 2022 and 2023 playoffs. This postseason, Brooks' veteran presence will be crucial as his young Rockets team is going up against a Warriors squad powered by grizzled vets Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler.

Dillon Brooks sports hairstyle reminiscent of former Rockets fan favorite

Brooks is only two years into his Rockets stint, but he has already endeared himself to the fanbase with his tenacious defense and reliable outside shooting. Heading into the playoffs, Brooks has one other good thing going for him in the eyes of the Houston fans.

On Thursday, reporter Kristie Rieken went on X to post a pic of Brooks' new hairstyle, which should ring a bell for the Rockets faithful:

"The Rockets are back in the playoffs and Dillon Brooks has brought back the Rockets logo braids that H-Town legend Gerald Green use to rock in the postseason," Rieken tweeted.

Back in 2018, Green got as far as the Western Conference Finals with a James Harden-led Rockets squad. Fans of the team are hoping that Brooks and the current Rockets team will match or perhaps even surpass that.