Steve Kerr declares Dillon Brooks ‘one of the dirtiest pieces I’ve ever seen’

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – There’s certainly no love lost between them Dillon Brooks and the Golden State Warriors.

After a narrow 119-116 victory of the Dubs over the Phoenix Suns, in a fierce rematch full of technical fouls and the ejection of Draymond Green, Steve Kerr blasted Brooks for his history of foul play, two nights after Brooks took a good punch to Stephen Curry’s stomach on a three-point attempt.

“How could you not be upset?” Kerr said to the question of A flagrant foul by Brooks following the Dubs’ 99-98 loss to the Suns on Friday.

“This is a guy who broke Gary’s (Peyton II) elbow in the playoffs, committing one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen. It’s not like there’s no record there. It’s right there; they’re looking at it. I don’t know what the point of repeating it is if you’re not going to punch a guy. If he didn’t, first of all, get ejected for it and then suspended or fined.”

Kerr told reporters the Warriors spoke with the league office about Brooks’ flagrant foul, the penalty. The Dubs coach declined to share specifically what was said between the two sides. However, the NBA’s final two-minute report upheld Brooks’ flagrant foul as the correct call, signaling that the league stood firm in its decision.

Kerr believes the league’s decision sets a dangerous precedent for calling flagrant fouls down the road.

“This is my position. Now you are allowed to premeditate to hit any shooter who is left defenseless. Now you can swing and know you will only get a flagrant.”

“Well, I don’t know, maybe we will,” Kerr joked. “But probably not.”

“This is the guy (Dillon Brooks) who broke Gary’s elbow in the playoffs, putting him on one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen … it’s not like there’s no record.”

– Steve Kerr 👀

(via @anthonywslater)

pic.twitter.com/DuCi7O1U11

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 21, 2025

Brooks’ extensive history with the Warriors

Brooks has long been a thorn in Golden State’s side, dating back to his days with the Memphis Grizzlies. In 2021, he first gained notoriety when the Grizzlies knocked off the Dubs in the first year of the playoff tournament, in which he was a key defender who bothered Curry.

The following year, the Warriors and Grizzlies faced off in the Western Conference semifinals, when his dangerous foul on Payton resulted in his suspension in Game 3 of the series. Payton, however, missed the rest of the series and the entire conference finals with a fractured elbow.

And last season, in The Dubs’ first-round series with the Houston Rocketsthere were some heated moments between Brooks and the Warriors. Warriors broadcasters accused Brooks of targeting Curry’s injured thumb after he attempted a layup. And after Game 5, Brooks had this to say about those claims.

“If I had an injured ankle, I’d go for it every time,” Brooks said. “So whatever they say on the show, they can keep saying it.”

At the time, what Brooks did by hitting Curry’s next hand after the shot was within the legal framework of the rulebook. But this past offseason, the league changed the rule to ban the loophole that allowed defenders to make contact with the shooter’s hand. They now classify it as “hot stove contact,” which counts as a shooting foul.

Warriors player comments on Brooks

Brooks explained his thought process behind the flagrant foul on Curry after Friday’s game.

“I thought he was running to try to fight off, so I tried to stop him,” Brooks said. “I don’t know how to explain it. I just have to figure it out for the next game so I don’t do anything to put our team in a bad position.”

After the game, Payton had a simple answer when a reporter asked for his perspective on Brooks’ style of play and history of questionable plays.

“Just who he is.”

The Warriors will see Brooks one more time this regular season.