Dillon Brooks Says He's LeBron's 'Top' Hater on Video, Wants 'Waiting S--t' to Stop amid NBA Rumors

At this point in his career, LeBron James has earned the respect of most of his peers around the league.

Dillon Brooks is the exception.

The Phoenix Suns forward called himself James' "top" hater and said the free agent needs to "stop all this waiting s--t." He added that he thinks James will end up joining the Golden State Warriors.

James and Brooks' beef, which is perhaps a bit one-sided, dates back to Brooks' time with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers and Grizzlies matched up in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, and Brooks talked trash to James both on the court and in interviews with the media.

The two clashed on the court during Game 2, which led to Brooks calling James out postgame.

"I don't care—he's old. You know what I mean?" Brooks said after Memphis won Game 2. "I was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that [in] Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears. I don't respect no one until they come and give me 40."

Nearly a year later, after Brooks joined the Rockets, he picked up a flagrant 1 after hitting James in the face as the two battled for a rebound. Then, in December 2025, Brooks once again called out James after posting 33 points in a Suns' win over the Lakers.

"He likes people that bow down," Brooks said. "I don't bow down. So, that either entices him or it aggravates him—either-or."

Later that month, Brooks referred to James as a "social media junkie."

Clearly, Brooks views himself as an equal to James, or at least as one of the few people who can get under the all-time great's skin. Whether Brooks' opinion of James will change once he's retired remains to be seen.