NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe can be counted as one of the people irked by Houston Rockets wing Dillon Brooks’ antics against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
“He just does a lot of things that’s unnecessary,” Sharpe said of Brooks. “And I don’t believe that’s — sometimes people say, ‘Well, that’s his style of play.’ That ain’t no style of play, bro. You gon’ hurt somebody out there. And if that’s all they gon’ let you do, if they gon’ let you shove guys in the back, hell — they can hire me.
“Just let me come in at 55 years of age and I can do exactly what Dillon Brooks do. Guy gets on a breakaway? I can shove him in the back. I can go up for a rebound, pretend like I’m trying to get a rebound and club the guy upside his head. Man, that’s unnecessary. That is not basketball.”
Brooks got into it with Jarred Vanderbilt during Monday’s game and called him a “p—-“ during their exchange. Vanderbilt ended up getting ejected for retaliating on Brooks.
Jarred Vanderbilt has been ejected after getting into it with Dillon Brooks 👀 pic.twitter.com/BsiKIQy8Qo
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) January 30, 2024
As Sharpe — who has never been shy about showing his fandom for LeBron James — alluded to, Brooks fouled Vanderbilt while the Lakers forward was in the air earlier in the game.
Brooks also hit James in the head later in the contest.
LeBron James went down after taking a hit to the head by Dillon Brooks 👀 pic.twitter.com/dc04rPcFN0
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) January 30, 2024
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham and big man Anthony Davis spoke about Brooks after the game and made their feelings known.
"Maybe Dillon Brooks shouldn't have been in the game either."
– Darvin Ham when asked about Jarred Vanderbilt's ejection
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) January 30, 2024
"We all know the type of player he is. He talks and says whatever he wants to ref, to players. At the end of the day we men. … Vando did what he had to do."
– Anthony Davis on Dillon Brooks
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) January 30, 2024
The Rockets wound up winning the game 135-119. Brooks recorded 17 points, three assists and one steal in 28 minutes of action. He went 7-for-12 from the field and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc.
As many fans know, he has a tendency to talk lots of trash to his opponents. People will surely recall his antics during the 2023 playoffs when he was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. In Memphis’ first-round series against the Lakers, Brooks called James “old” and also hit the four-time MVP in the groin.
With his actions and words, Brooks continues to portray himself as a villain across the league. However, he doesn’t seem to mind that status at all.
The 28-year-old is in the first year of a lucrative four-year contract worth more than $80 million. He’s recording 13.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game for a Rockets team that is 22-24 and sits in 11th place in the Western Conference.
Houston is just one game back of the Lakers, who continue to be inconsistent this season.
Los Angeles and Houston have played each other four times this season already, so a fifth game would have to come in the play-in tournament or playoffs.
