Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks Blames Media Coverage for Game 3 Ejection

He was issued a flagrant 2 foul for hitting LeBron James in the groin during Saturday’s game.

After lobbing some bulletin board material in the direction of LeBron James, Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks had a rough go of things during Saturday’s 111–101 loss to the Lakers in Game 3. He managed just seven points on 3-for-13 shooting in 19 minutes before getting ejected for hitting James in the groin, bringing a premature end to a forgettable night.

A day later, Brooks offered an interesting perspective on what contributed to him getting ejected, telling reporters on Sunday that the negative perception against him played a role in him being issued a flagrant 2 foul on Saturday.

“The media making me a villain, the fans making me a villain, that just creates another persona on me,” Brooks said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

Brooks began a sort of war of words following Memphis’ win in Game 2 when he called James “old” and said he wasn’t concerned about giving extra motivation to the four-time NBA champion, adding, “I poke bears. I don’t respect no one until they come and give me 40.”

Brooks is not expected to be suspended for Game 4 of the series. The two teams will resume play on Monday night in Los Angeles, with tipoff set for 10 p.m. ET.