Dillon Brooks spoke on the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies series

Dillon Brooks made waves during the opening round of last year’s playoffs when he publicly called LeBron James old. His comments came after the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2, but they ultimately went on to lose the series in six games.

Brooks received a lot of attention following that loss, as some felt his comments helped fuel James and the Lakers. Recently speaking on that perception with Arash Madani of Sportsnet, Brooks said, “I felt like I always had him. I feel like that series was thrown upon me cause of the words that I say. But I’ve been saying things all year, and we won 50 games.”

Never looking to walk back his comments, Brooks is standing by what he said during that series. While the Grizzlies were the second seed last season, many feel their often arrogant approach is something that will need to be scaled back next season. From Brooks regularly calling out opponents, to Ja Morant saying he was fine in the West, the Grizzlies gave opponents a lot of bulletin board material last season.

Looking to have a more mature approach next season, the Grizzlies want to remain confident while also not getting in their own way. This was a theme at times last year, especially with Brooks, who is now with the Houston Rockets.