Lebron Praises Dillon Brooks For New $80 Million Contract

LeBron James is now officially the oldest player in the NBA, with over 66,000 minutes played in the league. He is the second-most experienced player ever, with only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar having more game time. So, with this, we have seen a great many of various rivals for LeBron throughout his illustrious career.

His most recent rival came during the first round of last season's playoffs when notorious trash-talker Dillon Brooks publicly called out LeBron ahead of their postseason encounter. Now, Brooks has earned himself a lot of praise from the all-time leading scorer, with LeBron calling Brooks worthy of his recent $80 million contract.

Lebron Brooks Rivalry

The Lakers started last season on a rough note, and it took some late-season trades to complete their roster and make a push for the playoffs. With a lot of momentum to end the season, they managed to sneak into the postseason via the play-in tournament and were matched up against the 2nd-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.


Despite playing well all season and having one of the best records in the NBA, coming into their first-round matchup, the Grizzlies were looked at as underdogs against the Lakers. Many of the team took this to heart, including the notorious trash talker Dillon Brooks, who publicly called out LeBron ahead of their matchup. He called LeBron "old" and dared him to score 40 points, among other antics, which were seen as "poking the bear."

"I Don't Care, He's Old" Dillon Brooks Mocks LeBron James, Calls Him Old & Says He's Not At The Same Level As He Was With The Cavs After Game 2 Win! https://t.co/TLTLVasB7R pic.twitter.com/o3eaRvB7cf— WORLDSTARHIPHOP (@WORLDSTAR) April 20, 2023

The Lakers eventually won that series in 6 games, and LeBron averaged 22.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists, proving that at 38, he still had what it takes to compete with a young Grizzlies team. Many in Memphis believed that Brooks's behavior actually pushed LeBron to perform better. As a result, the Grizzlies chose not to re-sign Dillon at the end of that season.


Brooks $80 Million Contract

Although the Grizzlies didn't want Brooks, he still found a place in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, who brought in Dillon along with veteran Fred VanVleet this offseason to help develop and lead their young core.

Many scoffed at the idea of Brooks being worth $80 million when he first signed, but he has since proven his star ability with an outstanding performance in this summer's FIBA World Cup, including a thrilling Bronze medal game where he dropped 39 points against Team USA to help Canada win its first national team medal.

Dillon Brooks has won Best Defensive Player of the World Cup 🔒 pic.twitter.com/KR1KkObUDG— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 10, 2023

Starting out for the Rockets, Brooks is once again proving his value with his on-court play, recording career highs in both rebounds per game and field goal percentage for Houston this season.

Lebron Praises Brooks

The short-lived rivalry between James and Brooks seems unlikely to recur. The Lakers are currently aiming for an NBA championship, whereas the Rockets are unlikely to reach the playoffs at all, leaving any near-future playoff rematches out of the question. With this being said, LeBron has publicly acknowledged his former opponent and shared heaps of praise for Brooks.

LeBron James credited Dillon Brooks' competitive nature at shootaround in Houston and said he earned the contract he got from the Rockets coming off the Grizzlies-Lakers playoff series. pic.twitter.com/BHrDGdBybz— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 8, 2023

Most notable were LeBron's comments on Brooks' work ethic, validating him for earning the large contract that he was given. He also went on to reveal that their rivalry is in the past and that he is not dwelling on it anymore.



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