DILLON BROOKS - MILLION DOLLAZ WORTH OF GAME EPISODE 369

Dillon Brooks explains that his 'villain' persona wasn't innate but developed during his final year with the Memphis Grizzlies. When the team wasn't offering a contract extension and his offensive role decreased, he became 'bored' and started talking trash in post-game media sessions, which quickly gained traction and led to the 'Dylan the Villain' nickname. This persona was a conscious effort to create engagement and challenge opponents.

Brooks states, 'the villain and all that shit came from that very year where they weren't trying to pay me and I was just and then my shots decreased and then I was like I'm bored like we need to talk some shit now.'

Brooks reveals his specific strategy when guarding LeBron James: he actively tried to make LeBron shoot more. His goal was to force James into one-on-one situations, believing that if LeBron focused on scoring himself, other key players on the opposing team would receive fewer touches. Brooks felt confident in his ability to defend James in isolation.

Brooks explains, 'My thoughts by doing that in that series was him to shoot the ball more. I wanted him to shoot the ball more. But being LeBron, he's not going to overshoot. He's not going to try to take over a game. He's going to try to get everybody involved... I was trying to get him to shoot more cuz I know if he shoots more, then this guy's not getting the ball. This guy's not getting the ball. And it's like a one-on-one matchup. I could take on that match up any day of the week.'

Brooks acknowledges that overseas players are increasingly 'running the NBA,' noting that many of the league's top players are international. He attributes this to the global growth of basketball, citing his personal experience playing against future NBA stars like Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo in U16 and U17 FIBA World Cups, demonstrating that talent development is no longer confined to America.

Brooks states, 'Cuz basketball's growing all over the world. Like I played FIA basketball so I run into these guys like all the time. Like I ran into obviously we're talking about Luca, we're talking about Joker. We're talking about Giannis... I just think the basketball game is just it's not only held to America.'

Brooks argues that media members should not have a vote in determining the MVP award. He believes media personnel can be influenced by personal feelings, lack direct playing experience, and may base decisions on superficial statistics rather than a deep understanding of the game. He highlights that such biases can unfairly impact a player's financial incentives and career trajectory.

Brooks asserts, 'I don't think so [media voting for MVP]... they human beings just like everybody else and they they get in their feelings... they're getting their feelings because the dude didn't give him an interview or they shoved them off after a game or now it's coming down to your vote... and that's what's crazy too because then you're playing with dudes money and incentive.'

Brooks believes social media negatively affects player development by encouraging athletes to 'do the work just to show people' rather than for genuine improvement. He suggests that players prioritize creating viral content over consistent, focused training, leading to a disconnect between perceived effort and actual on-court performance, citing Klay Thompson's shooting struggles despite showcasing perfect practice sessions online.

Brooks states, 'I think they just do the work just to show people. They're not really doing the work... I never put in the work until these past two years. So, I know like the work is real. It's just what do you what are you doing it for? You're doing it for the love of the game to get better. Or you're doing it just to, you know, show like a couple clicks here, a couple clicks there. Like there's no way Klay Thompson should be shooting like shit this year. And we seen all the videos of him shooting 30 in a row, 40 in a row.'