We knew Dillon Brooks poked bears, just not right there.
The Grizzlies provocateur was ejected for a nut shot on LeBron James in the third quarter of Game 3 of the Lakers-Grizzlies series, one that had James collapse in a heap and roll around in pain.
Refs determined that the play was intentional and therefore issued Brooks a flagrant 2 foul. It will be interesting to see if the league decides to suspend Brooks, as he — like Draymond Green — also has a history of questionable conduct. Brooks committed a flagrant 2 foul that injured Golden State’s Gary Payton II in Game 2 of last season’s Western Conference semifinals and was suspended by the NBA for the next game.
The Brooks ejection comes after some choice words he had for James after Game 2.
“I don’t care — he’s old. You know what I mean?” Brooks said then of the 38-year-old James. “I was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears. I don’t respect no one until they come and give me 40.”
James didn’t clap back publicly, but did speak to Brooks in an interesting pregame moment.