The showdown between LeBron James and Dillon Brooks practically became the identity of the first-round series between the LA Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies. With the rivalry taking root earlier, however, we took a look at the situation as a whole.
The Memphis Grizzlies have earned a certain kind of reputation over the last two seasons. Primarily due to their brash nature and constant trash-talking, Grizzlies players often assume the role of "villains" during games.
Before the playoffs began, Grizzlies players like Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks had already taken shots at the Lakers. Brooks, however, took it a step further after the Game 1 loss, making unsavory comments aimed at LeBron James.
After the loss in Game 1, Brooks made some rather unsavory comments to provoke James. While this may have been in an attempt to rile up the Lakers superstar, Brooks drew the ire of the entire basketball community for his baseless comments.
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Regardless, Memphis managed to win Game 2 behind some big threes by Brooks. The Grizzlies forward was also seen mocking LeBron after making a 3-pointer. This was where the flow of the series shifted.
the next two games saw James turn up the heat and put on a masterclass performance, leading the Lakers to take a 3-1 lead. Brooks also started avoiding media sessions, and after the Lakers won Game 6 by a 40-point margin, he left the arena without speaking to the media yet again.
Although James was quiet throughout the series, he started boasting after the series was over. Sharing some very obvious targeted posts on social media, LeBron took his rightful shot at Memphis.
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With Memphis knocked out of the playoffs in the first-round, the team will look to make some changes. In many ways, the dominoes have already started falling.
Dillon Brooks out of Memphis
Since crashing out of the playoffs, Dillon Brooks has faced some adversity. After being fined $25,000 for avoiding media sessions, however, Brooks was handed some more unfortunate news.
As per The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Memphis Grizzlies announced their plans to part ways with Brooks, who is an unrestricted free agent next season. The announcement went as far as to say that they wouldn't consider bringing him back in the future as well.
Given his brash disposition and his low output on the court, it remains to be seen where Brooks will end up next. With few teams likely to pursue a player like him, his career prospects may be limited.
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