Watch LeBron James give Dillon Brooks a thumbs up
The rivalry between LeBron James and Dillon Brooks took another fun twist on Monday night, and this time, Bronnie James joined the story. During Los Angeles LakersIn a 125-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns, Brooks found himself paired with Broney for possession late in the game.
The moment quickly went viral when Brooks failed to score on the rookie guard, prompting LeBron to react from the sideline with a dramatic thumbs-up gesture, a clear message that the defensive end belonged to the James family.
The trade added another layer to one of the most entertaining individual matchups in the NBA, fueled mostly by Brooks’ constant attempts to get under LeBron’s skin since their 2023 playoff run in Memphis.
Brooks, however, got the last laugh on the scoreboard. The Suns forward entered 33 pointsincluding a relentless 23-point first half in which he attacked, trash-talked and fed the Cripto.com Arena crowd.
With Devin Booker ejected, Brooks took over the offense, burying jumpers, finishing at the rim and mimicking LeBron’s celebration, which included shrugging his shoulders and pointedly looking down.
Phoenix also got a fantastic performance from Colin Gillespie, who scored a career-high 28 points, 16 of which came in the fourth quarter as the Suns closed out the game and ended the Lakers’ seven-game winning streak.
For the Lakers, the loss wasn’t just about the final score; it was about control slipping away at both ends. LeBron ended up frustrated, the bench got tense, and the building had flashbacks to Brooks’ infamous “I’m watering the bears” quote from Memphis.
Even so, one play, Broney pinning Brooks for a stop, provided a rare bright spot. The novice’s composure earned him the approval of the one person whose opinion mattered most: his father.
LeBron’s thumbs down might not change the box score, but in the ongoing chess match of the rivalry, it was a subtle reminder:
The king is still watching.
2025-12-02 17:29:00
