Over the years, many NBA superstars have given each other a tough time on the court and off the court as well. The battles are prompted by the sheer intensity with which the players compete, and sometimes it gets out of hand. In this NBA season alone, there have been many times that players have faced off and dissed each other in front of the camera after the game. Similarly, one teammate of Ja Morant has recently attracted a lot of attention, and not for good reasons. After being snubbed by Kyrie Irving on live TV, the Grizzlies star gave an interview that raised a few eyebrows.
The NBA world was taken aback by the recent controversies triggered by the clash between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors. Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks shook the league with his tussle with the Warriors star, Draymond Green. However, fans were left wondering whether a similar reaction would ensue after the newest Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving snubbed him.
Dillon Brooks on Kyrie Irving after the latter snubbed him on Live Television
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The Memphis Grizzlies star has been notorious throughout the season and has got himself into quite a few fights. His tussle with Draymond Green a few weeks ago caught quite the traction as Brooks went off on the Warriors superstar. He mentioned how he didn’t “like” Green at all and believes that the Warriors no. 23 is pretty chirpy.
Green clapped back with his response on his podcast as he called Brooks the thorn in the Grizzlies’ path to becoming a dynasty. Fast forward a few weeks, fans spotted Brooks getting snubbed by Kyrie Irving on Monday night, after the Grizzlies’ win against the Mavericks.
Kyrie didn’t even take Dillon Brooks jersey 😅 pic.twitter.com/USvpPtIVUq
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 21, 2023
Irving was seen shaking hands with Brooks in what appeared to be a jersey swap, but the Mavericks star didn’t follow up with his part of the deal and simply walked away. Fans felt that the Grizzlies star could take it personally and might have a little something for Irving in the near future.
However, it was confirmed to be a mistake by Irving as he mentioned how he was simply distracted. Additionally, Dillon Brooks didn’t take that comment to heart, as he had only high praise for the Mavericks star after the game. Not only that, the 27-year-old even compared the 2016 NBA champion to Kobe and Michael Jordan.
“He?s just like Kobe. He?s just like Jordan and those guys,” said Brooks in the post-game press conference. He further added, “He plays the game at a different place. He uses both hands, mid-range God. And that?s where I want to be at one day, be able to shoot the ball more.“
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Just a while ago, Brooks was extremely excited to potentially guard Irving, mentioning how he wanted to see “what he’s all about“. Seems like the Grizzlies star has finally understood the eight-time All-Star’s quality as he showered him with respectful words. It is a welcome change from Brooks, who has dealt with a lot of accusations of poor behavior from fans and the NBA in the 2022-23 season.
Dillon Brooks and the result of his notorious behavior?
Brooks butting heads with Draymond Green might be a part of the game, but his other behavioral patterns are concerning for many. In the 2022-23 season, the Grizzlies star has paid $248,242 in fines alone. When questioned about the astronomical figure, Brooks had a rather unapologetic reply, “It’s just paper“.
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Watch This Story: ?Kyrie Irving?s 5 Most Controversial Moments on NBA Court Amid Ugly Feud with Celtics Fans
He was recently fined $35,000 for pushing a cameraman, as the league deemed it “unsportsmanlike” conduct. The player leads the league in most technical fouls, with 18 fouls under his belt. Only time will tell if he can curb his temper and deliver the goods as he’s supposed to.