Dillon Brooks, a Houston Rockets player who was despised by the Memphis Grizzlies for his toughness and for being one of the great villains of the NBA (last season he was the player who received the most technicals, with 18), has become one of the great sensations of the Basketball World Cup 2023 with the Canadian national team.
After his decisive defensive performances, the gigantic 27-year-old outside linebacker has defined himself, true to his style, with forcefulness.
“I am the best defender in the World Cup, the world and the NBA,” he insisted, in quotes reported by Yahoo.
“I feel that I bring a different type of defense with my understanding of the game, my physical level and my discipline on the court.”
So far Dillon Brooks‘ stats with Canada in the World Cup are 11 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 13 rating average.
Dillon Brooks’ defense of Luka Doncic “should be in the FIBA museum”
One game that will be remembered in FIBA basketball is his defense against Luka Doncic, whom he left in 8 of 20 shooting from the field.
How Doncic’s ejection went: he left unhinged
“A lot of people don’t like Brooks…. But I respect him for what he does,” said Doncic, who complained about the referee’s permissiveness with Brooks‘ physical defense.
Jordi Fernandez, Canada’s Spanish coach, was also very clear when defining Brooks‘ defense against Doncic.
“He gave a defensive clinic that should be in the FIBA museum,” he reflected.
Why is Dillon Brooks the great villain of the NBA? His great controversies
The Memphis Grizzlies got tired of Dillon Brooks‘ on-court controversies and decided not to renew his contract.
Calling LeBron James “old”, whom he said he did not respect because he had not scored 40 points, and later his expulsion for hitting ‘King’ James in the crotch was the straw that broke the camel’s back of the Tennessee franchise’s patience.
Getting into a confrontation with a spectator (who turned out to be Shannon Sharpe) in a Lakers game, his hit on Donovan Mitchell, pushing a TV cameraman in the middle of the game, his tremendous foul on Gary Payton Jr (who broke his elbow) or his scuffles with Draymond Green are some of the most famous controversies that have turned Dillon Brooks into the great villain of the NBA.