LeBron James helped Dillon Brooks land $80 million contract with Rockets? Tracy McGrady explains how Lakers superstar played role in former Grizzlies star’s massive payday
Dillon Brooks recently moved from Memphis Grizzlies to the Houston Rockets.
Follow Us
Dillon Brooks, LeBron James and Tracy McGrady (images via Getty Images)
The 2023 NBA Playoffs stand out as one of the most legendary playoff seasons in the league’s history. The Denver Nuggets achieved a remarkable victory, clinching the championship after enduring multiple injury-ridden seasons. Notably, Lebron James and the Lakers defied expectations by recovering from a challenging 2-10 start to the season and reaching the Western Conference Finals. This unexpected accomplishment marked one of the playoffs’ biggest surprises.
The Lakers’ first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies garnered significant attention due to Dillon Brooks‘ provocative actions, casting him and the Grizzlies as the season’s antagonists.
Tracy McGrady recently commented on the Lakers’ journey to the Western Conference Finals, addressing Dillon Brooks’ subsequent $80 million contract with the Houston Rockets after the Grizzlies opted not to re-sign him. McGrady suggested that, from a competitive standpoint, had Brooks not engaged in the same provocative behavior towards James, who was arguably the series’ best player, he might not have attracted the same level of attention. The reputation he built for himself ultimately secured him the lucrative $80 million deal with the Rockets.
“Some of the ‘antics’ I could do without, but I’m talking about from a competitive standpoint. If he doesn’t do some of the things that he did last year going at LeBron [James] who was the best player, we’re not talking about Dillon Brooks bro… He’s made a name for himself… He got an $80 million deal out of the sh*t he did last season,” McGrady said.
What happened between Dillon Brooks and Lebron James in the first-round series of the playoffs?
During the 2023 NBA Playoffs’ first round in the Western Conference, the 2nd-seeded Memphis Grizzlies squared off against the 7th-seeded Los Angeles Lakers. Dillon Brooks had already garnered a negative reputation due to a prior intentional foul in the previous year’s playoffs against Golden State, which resulted in Gary Payton II suffering a fractured elbow.
In this year’s first-round series, Brooks committed a similar foul against Lebron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. During the game, he struck the NBA’s All-Time Leading scorer in the groin area. This action led to a Flagrant 2 foul, resulting in Brooks’ ejection from the playoff series’ third-quarter of Game 3. Following Brooks’ ejection, the Lakers capitalized, securing a 111-101 victory, thereby extending their lead to 2-1. Ultimately, the Lakers triumphed in the series with a 4-2 score, eliminating both Brooks and the Grizzlies.
Throughout the series, Brooks engaged in verbal exchanges with Lebron James, notably after James sank a three-pointer in the fourth quarter of the second game. Brooks went so far as to refer to Lebron James as “old” and stated that he wouldn’t respect anyone until they scored 40 points on the court. While Lebron never achieved 40 points against Brooks, he and the Lakers convincingly defeated the Grizzlies by 40 points in the final game, effectively ending their playoff run.
In Case You Missed:
- “What is this sh*t?” – Paul George, Klay Thompson LAUGH at Luka Doncic’s horrendous attempt at emulating Steph Curry
- “He got an $80 million deal out of the sh*t he did” – Tracy McGrady IMPRESSED by LeBron James’ recent trash-talker
Stay Updated!
Ankush Singh
(616 Articles Published)