\u201cNo [expletive],\u201d he said Friday of what he brings. \u201cI don\u2019t back down from anybody or anything. Everybody, to me, is the same. I can\u2019t wait to get a technical foul at PHX (Arena) and for them to go crazy. I can\u2019t wait to bring my toughness and my grit all-around and I hope it\u2019s contagious for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the uninitiated, the tallest heights this reached was one of the most entertaining playoff subplots of the last five years. In the 2023 first round, all of his antics directly targeted, of all people, LeBron James.<\/p>\n
Brooks after Game 2 of that series called James \u201cold\u201d while adding he \u201cpokes bears\u201d and doesn\u2019t respect anyone till they score 40 points on him.<\/p>\n
This carried over to the court, where the bear got a bit loud and it didn\u2019t go too well for Brooks and his Memphis Grizzlies. James, not one for too much chatter, made sure to yap at Brooks<\/a> whenever he could the rest of the way<\/a>. Brooks was booed immensely by Lakers fans and there was an undeniable, captivating amount of extra energy coming from a clearly-taking-this-personally James.<\/p>\n But the point is not that it backfired, it\u2019s that Brooks means it. When it comes to his bravado, he will do the walking of the walk after talking the talk to anyone, and you could not exaggerate enough how badly the Suns need that.<\/p>\n His nickname, Dillon The Villain, is one of the most underrated to come around in this generation.<\/p>\n \u201cI like to hit, bang, tussle,\u201d Brooks said, showing his vernacular knowledge for what he does. \u201cI feel like having me on the team is gonna bring more confidence to the young guys, bring more back to the city.\u201d<\/p>\n And Brooks has been here before.<\/p>\n How Dillon Brooks became a culture builder<\/p>\n The original rise of the Grizzlies in this Ja Morant era was the back-half of Brooks\u2019 first six years in the league. Memphis moved on from him and the Houston Rockets wanted a guy to set the culture and identity, something Brooks was successful at doing through two seasons.<\/p>\n Brooks said \u201cit starts from the beginning\u201d when it comes to building up a program, referencing the importance of the relationship with the coach, defensive principles and the main goals on the court for the team\u2019s style of play.<\/p>\n At 29 years old, Brooks has become a refined version of the eclectic player he made a living off being. His often questionable shot selection and over-the-top confidence as an offensive player in Memphis took more of a back seat in Houston as a better complementary player, to wit he shot a career-high 39.7% from 3-point range on a career-high 6.3 attempts per game last season.<\/p>\n He might not be the defensive player he once was \u2014 certainly still effective on that end but no longer in the All-Defense type of consideration \u2014 but that will still bring a world of difference. Think of Jae Crowder\u2019s outstanding communication and technical proficiency with being in the right spot every, single, time. All with a whole lot of edge.<\/p>\n Brooks brings that and an embracing of that situation he\u2019s now in.<\/p>\n \u201cI love the challenge. \u2026 I love Phoenix,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cI\u2019ve been over in the summers. I love when I play there, the gym\u2019s amazing, the people are great \u2014 can\u2019t wait to connect with the fans and bring that toughness, bring that urgency and be ready for the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
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