Dillon Brooks trolled by NBA rival in hilarious moment as Canada crash out of FIBA World Cup
Dillon Brooks is the troublemaker-in-chief within the Canada staff, utilizing all his darkish arts of defending to needle, harass and bully opponents into submission.
On Sunday, nevertheless, it was his opponents who had the final snicker.
Only a couple of days prior, Brooks had carried out his position because the pantomime villain to perfection in Wednesday’s quarter-final win over Slovenia in Manila, pushing Luka Doncic to date to the restrict that the Dallas Mavericks celebrity snapped and bought himself ejected within the fourth quarter.
But small ahead Brooks, who in July swapped the Memphis Grizzlies for the Houston Rockets, did extra than simply get below opponents’ pores and skin.
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The 27-year-old scored 22 factors in Canada’s second-round win over defending champions Spain, with teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander calling his efficiency “one for the books”.
Celebrating that efficiency and his staff’s victory, cameras caught Brooks shadow boxing within the area tunnel as he waited for his teammates to hitch him.
On Sunday, nevertheless, Canada was eradicated from the World Cup after a 95-86 loss to Serbia and Nikola Jovic knew precisely learn how to have a good time the win as he walked up the sector tunnel.
Brooks completed the second-highest scorer on the night time for Canada with 16 factors, trailing teammate RJ Barrett who had 23.
Oklahoma City celebrity Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in the meantime, was held to simply 15 to go along with 9 assists.
Gilgeous-Alexander was stuffed with reward for Brooks earlier than Sunday’s sport, describing him as a “guy you always want on your team”.
“He’s a leader, he does the right things on the basketball floor, he plays with the right energy,” stated Gilgeous-Alexander.
Brooks embellished his notoriety final season within the NBA when he clashed with Los Angeles Lakers celebrity LeBron James.
Brooks known as James “old” after the Grizzlies beat the Lakers within the second sport of their playoff sequence, then bought himself ejected within the subsequent sport after hitting the 38-year-old with a low blow.
Brooks was as much as his outdated tips in opposition to Slovenia, getting bodily with Doncic and having a phrase in his ear every time doable.
The Manila followers cheered Doncic’s each contact and booed Brooks, who responded by blowing a kiss to the gang after nailing an early three-pointer.
Canada head coach Jordi Fernandez stated Brooks “had to be better” after getting himself ejected shortly earlier than Doncic, however he couldn’t fault his participant for effort.
“I think today was a defensive clinic of leading with his chest, showing his hands, pressuring full-court,” stated Fernandez.
“And if you don’t think that way, then you don’t like basketball.”
Even Doncic needed to give Brooks begrudging credit score, saying he performed with physicality “like he always does”.
“A lot of people don’t like him but I respect him for what he does, and he does that stuff pretty good,” stated Doncic.
