Dillon Brooks has never been one to hold back, and he certainly didn’t start during a recent Twitch livestream with streamer Agent. The Phoenix Suns forward, known as much for his defensive grit as his mouth, offered another pointed take on LeBron James - and this time, it came with a dose of tactical honesty.
Brooks didn’t mince words. He said what many defenders may think but few say out loud: guarding LeBron James today isn’t the same as it was five years ago.
“If it was LeBron five years ago, then it’d be different,” Brooks said. “Miami Bron, you’re not really talking trash to him, ’cause he’s got more game to him, more agile.
Right now, he’s like old.”
That might sound like another jab in their ongoing rivalry, but there’s more nuance here. Brooks wasn’t just talking trash for the sake of it - he was breaking down a matchup from a defender’s perspective.
He sees opportunities now that didn’t exist when LeBron was at his most explosive. In Brooks’ eyes, the physical dominance that once made LeBron untouchable has faded just enough to allow defenders to press up, cut off his spots, and maybe even rattle him with some well-placed words.
And if anyone knows how to weaponize words on the court, it’s Dillon Brooks. For him, trash talk isn’t just theater - it’s part of the defensive scheme.
He uses it to disrupt rhythm, bait reactions, and turn a game into a one-on-one battle of wills. Against LeBron, that strategy has become personal, but it’s also calculated.
This rivalry isn’t new. It traces back to the 2023 playoffs, when Brooks - then with the Memphis Grizzlies - called James “old” during their first-round clash with the Lakers.
That series ended with the Lakers advancing in six games and LeBron getting the last laugh, posting a cryptic Instagram message about a grizzly bear needing help in a fight. It was classic LeBron: subtle, sharp, and dripping with meaning.
Still, even with all the back-and-forth, Brooks has never denied LeBron’s place in the game. When asked to name his personal NBA Mount Rushmore, Brooks didn’t hesitate to name Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O’Neal. But when it came to the fourth spot, he paused - just for effect - before adding LeBron James.
“It’ll be Kobe, Mike, Shaq,” Brooks said. “Hmmm! I’ll put LeBron in there.”
That moment said a lot. For all the jabs, the on-court antics, and the psychological warfare, Brooks recognizes greatness when he sees it.
He’s not trying to rewrite LeBron’s legacy - he’s trying to challenge it. That’s the competitor in him.
He’s not interested in pretending LeBron isn’t an all-time great. He just wants to be the guy who makes life harder for him, even if only for 48 minutes.
Brooks vs. LeBron has become one of the league’s more intriguing individual rivalries - not because of bad blood, but because of what it represents.
It’s the clash between a rising defensive agitator and a legendary figure still commanding respect in the twilight of his career. And while Brooks may needle, poke, and prod, he also pays his respects - in his own, very Brooks-like way.