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Lakers' LeBron James says he's 'not here for the bulls—' in response to Dillon Brooks' comments

Scott Rafferty

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Lakers' LeBron James says he's 'not here for the bulls—' in response to Dillon Brooks' comments image

Dillon Brooks had a lot to say about LeBron James after Game 2.

When asked about Brooks two days later, the Lakers star kept his response brief.

James ended his media availability on Friday by saying Game 3 will "be a great game," he's "not here for the bulls—" and he's ready to play. His comments came after "generally side-stepping" questions about Brooks, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

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James led the Lakers in scoring with 28 points in Game 2, but his performance wasn't enough. The Grizzlies defeated the Lakers without Ja Morant to even the series at 1-1.

James and Brooks exchanged words in the third quarter of Game 2 after back-to-back buckets from James.

Brooks then stared down James after making a 3-pointer over him in the fourth quarter.

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What did Dillon Brooks say about LeBron James?

After Game 2, Brooks said James is "old" and that he doesn't "respect no one until they come and give me 40."

"I was waiting for that," Brooks said about his confrontation with James. "I was expecting him to do that Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears."

Brooks also said he wishes he got to see James when he was with the Heat and Cavaliers because "he's not at the same level."

"I wish I got to see that," Brooks said. "It would have been a harder task, but I'm playing with what I've got. Just wear and tear on him throughout a seven-game series and see if he can take it. See if he wants to play the one-on-one battle or if he wants to be out on the sidelines shooting the basketball."

Brooks did say that James is "a legend," but he considers him "just another basketball player" when on they are on the floor together.

It should all make for an interesting Game 3 as the series shifts from Memphis to Los Angeles.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.