John Collins Grabs Dillon Brooks by Throat, Reacts to Fight After Pistons vs. Suns Preseason Game

It didn't take Dillon Brooks long to get into his first scuffle of the 2026-27 season.

Within the first five minutes of Monday's preseason game against the Detroit Pistons, the Phoenix Suns guard incited an incident by repeatedly fouling John Collins on a rebound. Collins responded by turning around and grabbing Brooks' throat, which led to the scuffle:

Collins addressed it after the game and told reporters he "wasn't necessarily trying to set that tone, but I'm glad I did. Just sometimes you have to play basketball and get physical. I'm going to go out there and compete every night."

Detroit signed Collins to a three-year deal this offseason, so this was quite the introduction to the home fans.

Of course, he is far from the first player to have a similar interaction with Brooks. The Suns guard has "Dillon the Villain" listed as his nickname on Basketball Reference for a reason and has never hesitated to get physical or trash talk opponents.

He also led the league with 17 technical fouls last season.

If Monday's game was any indication, Brooks will probably pick up a few technical fouls in 2026-27 as well.