Is Dillon Brooks a better basketball player than LeBron James at this point?
When it’s all said and done, Brooks will never be remembered or revered in the way that LeBron James is, but my grandma told me, “If you live enough, you’ll see everything” and that holds true for the weird dynamics of their tumultuous relationship.
Brooks has never been an All-NBA caliber player, but he’s been one royal pain in LeBron James’ buttocks throughout his seven-year career. Brooks averages just 14 points per game in his career, and although he’s always been known as a capable scorer and antagonistic defender, he’s never been a better player than the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Suns Beat Lakers: Dillon Brooks Drops 33, LeBron James Scores 10 Points
But how the tides have changed. Monday night’s 125-108 thrashing of LeBron James’ surging Lakers squad by Brooks’ Phoenix Suns was a clear example. James struggled from the field (3 of 10) and produced just 10 points, 0 rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes as the Lakers’ seven-game win streak was snapped. It was a disaster of a game for James. Meanwhile Brooks clearly outplayed his old nemesis, scoring a team-high 33 points and leading his Suns (13-9) to the upset.
While the NBA’s all-time leading scorer continues to get comfortable in new role as third option, behind Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic, Brooks is in the prime of his career, still elevating his game – and still talking junk to LeBron James.
Dillon Brooks Doesn’t Bow Down To LeBron, He’s Still Rising
After the game, Brooks was asked about an exchange he had with James. Brooks didn’t hesitate to talk greasy about King James, same as he always has. James was having too much fun on the bench in Brooks’ opinion.
“Obviously you and LeBron have a history, what was going on at the bench with him and you?,” a reporter asked Brooks after the game.
“I’m a competitor,” Brooks responded. “I don’t really like the smiling and giggling and all that… letting him know that I’m here and I’m still rising.
“He took offense to you talking to him, cause he turned around?,” the reporter noted.
“Always. Always,” Brooks said. “He likes people that are going to bow down. I don’t bow down.” (LeBron doesn’t like) people who entice him or aggravates him…”
LeBron and Dillon Brooks Have A History
Back in 2023, when Dillon Brooks got an $80M bag from Houston, he opened up about his infamous dustup with LeBron James during the 2022 playoffs as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies and the villain persona that he’s courted and has been thrust upon him. He said he wasn’t fazed and was committed to being the same dog to the Rockets.
“I feel like I always had him. I feel like that series was thrown upon me cause of the words that I say, but I’ve been saying things all year and we won 50 games,” Brooks said in an interview with Sportsnet.
The 29-year-old has brought that tough mindset to Phoenix.
Is Dillon Brooks A Better Player Than LeBron James At This Point?
LeBron has had few opponents who were as steady and deliberate with their defensive strategies and unrelenting trash talk like Brooks. In the past, Brooks has had his ups and downs against LeBron, and his team has usually come out on the losing end. His confrontational posture and continuous on-court harassment was looked upon as a joke to most people, particularly when Brook’s offensive game took the day off, while chasing James all around the court.
That was then. Brooks is indeed “rising” as he described it and James is clearly on the way out. We know that Brooks wanted LeBron to respect the ass-whipping that his team took. Brooks wanted LeBron to know that he knows James is not the same guy. The Suns are the seventh-best team in the Western Conference, and the Lakers (15-5) are in second place, but the gap between LeBron James and Dillon Brooks as players is closing in real time.
The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging a career-high 22.3 points per game, good for Top 30 in the NBA and second on the team to Devin Booker (25 ppg). Brooks also leads the team in steals while shooting over 46 percent from the field. In the larger scheme of things, he is a better player than LeBron James at this point in his career, and he wasn’t going to give up the opportunity to rub it in. Who knows how long it will last?
