Is Lebron James vs. Dillon Brooks the Best One-on-One Rivalry in Sports? Kendrick Perkins Chimes In

Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins said that LeBron James and Dillon Brooks have the best 1 v 1 rivalry in sports.

Is Lebron James vs. Dillon Brooks the Best One-on-One Rivalry in Sports? Kendrick Perkins Chimes In

LeBron James, Dillon Brooks and Kendrick Perkins (inset) (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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LeBron James and Dillon Brooks have been at it for quite a few years now, and this year has been no different. The two went head-to-head for the third time this season. It was Brooks and the Phoenix Suns that came out on top as they blew out the Los Angeles Lakers 132-108 at the Mortgage Matchup Center on Tuesday night. It was the Suns’ second win over the Lakers this season.

In their previous meeting, in which the Lakers came out on top 116-114, Dillon Brooks was ejected for his actions after receiving a second technical foul. The forward scored a game-high 25 points on Tuesday and recorded his third consecutive 20-point game. His performances this season have given him a chance to be selected as an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career.

While the forward is having his career-best campaign in the NBA and is currently averaging 21.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists, he has been involved in multiple questionable acts this season. Brooks has often rubbed LeBron James the wrong way several times in the past and has already done so twice in their previous two meetings this campaign.

Before their third meeting, former NBA Champion and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes that the James-Brooks rivalry is the best one-on-one rivalry in sports today.

This is the best 1-on-1 rivalry in sports. Am I lying?…This is the best rivalry in sports. We look forward to this. We look forward to Dillon Brooks and Bron tonight.

While Brooks has proven to be the leader of the Suns in his first season with the franchise, James is on a different planet altogether despite his age. But there is no doubt that the drama surrounding the two stars whenever they take to court has entertained the fans.

Kendrick Perkins calls Dillon Brooks a “Culture changer”

Following the trades of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in the offseason, many pundits believed that the Suns would be a lottery team and struggle to win many games. But fast-forward to today, the Suns find themselves at seventh place in the Western Conference standings with a 16-13 record.

Dillon Brooks
Dillon Brooks (Image credits – Duane Rankin/X)

Their impressive start to the season has largely been due to the arrival of the Canadian international, who has emerged as the leader of the Suns ahead of teammate Devin Booker. Brooks is one of the best two-way players in the league today.

Perkins, who did not have much hope in the Suns before the start of the season, credited Brooks for his impact on the franchise.

When you think of the Phoenix Suns, you don’t think about Devin Booker right now. You think about Dillon Brooks. This guy has become one of my favorite players in the NBA. Winning follows him. They hadn’t had a leader like him since CP3 (Chris Paul). He’s a culture changer.

It is true that the Suns have been a surprise package this season as they continue to prove their critics wrong and possibly make a push for direct playoff qualification.

Dillon Brooks took the advice of a former player

Considering the tensions between Brooks and James in their previous two matchups, the third meeting was a lot quieter and calmer. Brooks did not instigate James during the game, which was a surprise to many.

After the win, the 29-year-old was in high spirits as he answered a few questions in the locker room. When asked about the game and having no back and forth with James, Brooks replied

I wanted to go into Christmas with a win for sure and these divisional games mean a lot. Rex (Chapman) told me respect, you get respect by showing respect. I was just tuned in, locked in from the jump, from my pregame workout and was just ready to go.

It was good to see Brooks not embracing his “villain” tag for once and just focus on the game without any questionable moments. The Suns fans will be hoping to see more of their star player as he continues to keep the Suns in playoff contention.

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