Lakers' LeBron James Says Dillon Brooks Is 'Worthy' of $86M Rockets Contract in FA
Dillon Brooks has never minded poking the proverbial bear when it came to talking trash about LeBron James, and continued the trend Tuesday when he told reporters he plans to "lock him up" when his new team, the Houston Rockets, faces the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
James took a different approach, telling reporters he felt Brooks was worthy of the four-year, $86 million contract Houston signed him to this past offseason:
"Every player that is awarded with a contract is awarded for a reason, and they're worthy of the contract they get," he said. "So I think in his case, he's worth the contract he got. He's put the work in since he came out of Oregon, and Houston found value in him, and he's here."
Brooks and James have had an interesting back-and-forth in the past year.
During last season's first round matchup between the Lakers and Brooks' former team, the Memphis Grizzlies, the antagonistic guard called James "old" and said of talking trash to him: "I poke bears. I don't respect no one until they come and give me 40."
After James and the Lakers won the series in six—which included a 40-point margin of victory in Game 6—James quoted Mystikal on his Instagram page, writing, "If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear, HELP THE BEAR."
Point to LeBron.
Brooks was at it again on Tuesday, hoping to poke the bear yet again despite the previous outcome taking that approach.
"I feel like he (James) controls the media," the Rockets' guard told reporters. "I feel like a lot of guys, you know, have these podcasts and love social media, but I don't really like it. I don't really like media. If I didn't have to talk to you guys I wouldn't talk to you guys. And you know, I just block it out and just play basketball."
He added that he plans to pick up James full court when the Lakers' star is on the ball, bump him down on the block and attack him off the dribble when James is guarding him.
He did acknowledge that the matchup "ain't about me or him," however, but was about the Rockets "getting the win and keeping the win streak going."
James, for his part, said he wasn't focused on the prior series against Brooks heading into Wednesday's matchup.
"He's one of those guys who loves to compete, along with a lot of other guys in our league," he noted. "But I don't really dwell on the past too much. I think you know me, over the years I kinda leave that in the past... How can we get our first road win [this season]? That's where my mindset is, for sure."
The Rockets head into the game with a 3-3 record, winners of three straight. The Lakers have started the season a disappointing 3-4, losers of two in a row.
