Getty Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Dillon Brooks didn’t face the media after the Memphis Grizzlies were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers and now his wallet will be a little lighter.
Brooks had no problem talking when the Grizzlies were winning but scurried out when his team was on the wrong side of the scoreboard. The NBA announced the fine on Sunday in a press release.
“Memphis Grizzlies forward/guard Dillon Brooks has been fined $25,000 for violating league rules governing media interview access, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations,” the release read. “The fine results from Brooks’ failure to participate in team postgame media availability during the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.”
The Grizzlies suffered a 40-point loss to the Lakers in the clinching Game 6 contest on Friday.
LeBron James Takes Aim at Dillon Brooks, Grizzlies After Win
Brooks has been the target of some harsh criticism following the Grizzlies’ elimination, mostly by his own doing. After evening up the series at 1-1, Brooks said he wasn’t scared to poke the bear, in reference to Lakers superstar LeBron James.
“I don’t care, he’s old,” Brooks said. “I poke bears. I don’t respect no one until they come and give me 40 [points].”
James and the rest of the Lakers never responded to Brooks during the series. However, the four-time MVP let loose on social media after LA won the series.
“Unlike you little [expletive] I’m a grown a** man. Big shoes to fill, grown a** pants. Prolly hustled with your pops, go ask your parents. Its apparent you’re staring at a legend, who put a few little [expletive] in they place before. Trying to eat without saying they grace before!” James tweeted.
James also had a powerful message on Instagram for the Grizzlies as a whole.
“If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear, HELP THE BEAR,” James wrote.
Dillon Brooks Blamed Media, Fans for ‘Villain’ Label
GettyDillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies looks at LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Brooks was ejected during Game 3 for a low blow while guarding LeBron James and blamed the media and fans for labeling him a villain.
“The media making me a villain, the fans making me a villain and then that just creates a whole different persona on me,” Brooks said. “So now you think I intended to hit LeBron James in the nuts. I’m playing basketball. I’m a basketball player. So if I intended — and that’s whatever is in the flagrant 2 category — if you think I did that, that means you think I’m that type of person.”
Brooks is a pending free agent and it will be interesting to see how it plays out for him. He didn’t do himself any favors against the Lakers, averaging 10.5 points in the series, shooting a miserable 31.2% from the field and 23.8% from beyond the arc.
The Lakers are past Brooks and Co. and are now preparing for the Western Conference Semifinals. They’ll face either the Golden State Warriors or Sacramento Kings in the next round.