Dillon Brooks taunted Los Angeles and called LeBron James “old” after his Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Lakers in Game 2. Brooks said he had no respect for anyone until they came and gave him 40 (points).
After Game 6, Brooks probably has more respect for LeBron and the Lakers, as they did exactly that. The Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the Grizzlies after beating them by, you guessed it, 40 points.
Brooks Scored only 63 Points Over 6 Games
Brooks reportedly left the locker room early after the defeat to avoid speaking to the press. When reporters entered inside to talk to players, he was nowhere to be found.
And that’s not surprising. His trash talk didn’t do the Grizzlies any good, himself included. Brooks ended the series by scoring only 63 points and made 24 field goals over 6 games.
However, he did have one memorable moment – hitting LeBron in the groin before being ejected. That was one of 20 personal fouls he committed during the series.
LeBron Makes a Statement by Walking Out Early
As for LeBron, it was evident he wanted to do all the talking on the court and not be dragged into a war of words. After beating and eliminating the Grizzlies, he was quick to walk to the locker room, without shaking the hands of Grizzlies players.
The LA star left the game with 14.1 seconds remaining on the clock and wasn’t interested in the customary post-match exchanges of pleasantries and show of respect to opponents.
In addition to letting his actions speak louder than words, James took to Twitter to share what he thought of Brooks via some lyrics from Jay-Z.
In his social media post, he wrote that he was a grown man and that whoever those lyrics were intended for was looking at a legend. He didn’t need to write the name of the man he would “put in his place”, though, as fans immediately understood who was he referring to.
A Period of Self-Reflection Awaits the Grizzlies
So, the Lakers progress to the next round and the semi-finals in the West. As for the Grizzlies, they are now in a difficult position. Like Brooks, Ja Morant was bullish before the start of the season, saying they were thinking about which team from the East they would play rather than the West.
However, with the Grizzlies falling at the first hurdle, they now have to figure out what to do next. Ja Morant claimed he had no problem dealing with criticism for what he said, but the Grizzlies have to find a way to do all their talking on the court. Otherwise, they would end empty-handed in seasons to come too.
