Dillon Brooks Fined $25K by NBA for Skipping Interviews After Loss to LeBron, Lakers
Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacek
Featured Columnist IVApril 30, 2023
Dillon Brooks isn't done making news even after his Memphis Grizzlies lost their first-round series to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA announced Sunday that it fined Brooks $25,000 because of his "failure to participate in team postgame media availability during the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs." There were multiple occasions where the University of Oregon product didn't speak to the media following Memphis' losses in the series.
In a series featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Ja Morant, Brooks was one of the major storylines.
The role player stared the 38-year-old James down during the Grizzlies' Game 2 win and then told reporters after the contest, "I don't care. He's old. … I poke bears. I don't respect no one 'till they come and give me 40."
That the Lakers had already stolen home-court advantage by splitting the first two games in Memphis didn't seem to matter, but poke the bear he did.
Los Angeles won three of the next four contests to close out the series and took the decisive Game 6 on Friday by 40 points with a stunning 125-85 victory. James averaged a double-double of 22.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game during the series, while the Lakers' balance and depth proved to be too much for the Western Conference's No. 2 seed.
Brooks, who drew plenty of online ridicule when he was ejected for a flagrant-2 foul on the King in Game 3 right after those comments, averaged 10.5 points per game while shooting an ugly 31.2 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from deep during the series.
James appeared to respond to his counterpart after the series when he posted a message on Instagram that said "If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear, HELP THE BEAR" and took to his Twitter account:
LeBron James @KingJamesUnlike you little 🤬I'm a grown ass man<br>Big shoes to fill 🤬, grown ass pants <br>Prolly hustled with your pops, go ask your parents <br>Its apparent you're staring at a legend <br>Who, put a few little 🤬in the they place before <br>Trying to eat without saying they grace before! 🤫👑
Now Brooks and the Grizzlies will have to sit at home and watch the Lakers in the second round when they take on the winner of the first-round series between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.