Dillon Brooks has ascended to the status of arguably the most hated player in the NBA in rocket-like fashion. Brooks has seeming embraced the role, particularly his new moniker of Dillon “The Villain” Brooks.
The Memphis Grizzlies guard and former Oregon Ducks’ star added to his rapidly growing reputation after the league on Friday fined him $35,000 for shoving a cameraman to the floor during the second quarter of a game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
NBA executive vice president and and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars announced the fine, calling Brooks’ actions “an unsportsmanlike act.”
The cameraman was injured and was still undergoing medical evaluation two days later, according to Heat radio play-by-play man Jason Jackson.
The shove and resulting fine is just the latest incident involving Brooks.
The fine comes less than two weeks after Brooks was suspended one game without pay for getting his 16th technical foul this season. Brooks was also suspended one game and fined $20,00 after hitting Cleveland Cavaliers’ guard Donovan Mitchell in the groin area.
Brooks has an ongoing beef with Golden State Warriors’ forward Draymond Green as part of a growing and increasingly nasty rivalry with the defending champions. Brooks was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected after his foul on the Warriors ‘ Gary Payton II during Game 2 of the 2022 Western Conference semifinals. Payton suffered a fractured elbow on the play and Brooks was suspended one game.
Then there is the infamous run-in with NFL Hall of Famer, FOX Sports commentator and Los Angeles Lakers’ super fan Shannon Sharpe during the 122-121 loss Jan. 20.
Brooks has become Public Enemy No. 1 in many arenas and he’s good with it.
“I like getting booed,” he told reporters after the game. “I like guys against me. It gets me going even more.”
