Rockets’ Dillon Brooks Makes Wild Claim About His NBA Reputation

‘It’s in their mind before the game even starts.’

Dillon Brooks’s defensive prowess earned him a place on the NBA’s All-Defensive second team in 2022–23. He followed that accolade by landing a four-year $86 million deal with the Rockets in free agency. 

Not lacking confidence amid his move to Houston, Brooks spoke to Kelly Iko of The Athletic and dropped a bold claim about his reputation amongst his NBA counterparts. According to Brooks himself, he thinks his defensive capabilities enable him to live in his opponents’ heads rent-free. 

“I know every single night, guys are thinking about me. It’s in their mind before the game even starts,” said Brooks.

While he may not be a fan-favorite, Brooks’ defensive accomplishments didn’t go unnoticed by those around the league. The 27-year-old will look to bring that same defensive intensity to the Rockets, having displayed it almost every night during his tenure with the Grizzlies.

Brooks’s confidence and intensity, while often beneficial for himself and his teammates, can occasionally land him in unfortunate situations. He was second in the NBA with 18 technical fouls last season, which landed him two separate one-game suspensions during the regular season. Additionally, he was criticized heavily for the disrespectful comments he made about LeBron James during the playoffs, with Memphis eventually bowing out to James’s Lakers in the first round. 

Despite moving to a new team amid a somewhat controversial exit from the Grizzlies, it doesn’t seem likely that Brooks will dial back any of his antics now that he’s landed in Houston.