Andre Iguodala gave perspective on how important mentality is in the NBA, using Dillon Brooks as an example.
Dillon Brooks has become one of the best-known NBA players in the world over the last few months due to his insane on-court tactics and rivalries with players like LeBron James and Donovan Mitchell. Brooks has been referred to as crazy by many fans before and now Andre Iguodala has come out and said that Brooks’ crazy mentality is integral in him keeping a spot in the NBA.
“There’s certain guys in the NBA that wouldn’t be in the NBA if they didn’t have that crazy mentality… If Dillon Brooks wasn’t crazy, he wouldn’t be in the NBA.”
Value in the NBA is not just provided on the court but also outside of it. Brooks has proven defensive value and was named to an All-Defensive Team last season. In addition, his never-back-down mentality is crucial in a league where many role-players often get intimidated by superstars.
Is it corny and annoying? Yes. But it takes a different kind of mentality to not care about how people perceive you as you take the role of annoying opponents with pesky defense and trash-talk.
The NBA Always Has Players That Are Branded Crazy
Iguodala isn’t insulting Broojks with his comments but just sharing the reality of the NBA. Across generations, the league has always had players who didn’t care about being liked and were very challenging to play on the court. Even if they weren’t the most s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed, they would rarely give up on the court.
We’ve seen MVP-caliber players like that in Kevin Garnett and Chris Paul, but their high level of play meant that most people would overlook it. But there have been plenty of role-players filling that role as well. Bruce Bowen is one of the most famous examples of providing a lot of tenacity to the San Antonio Spurs. Ron Artest did the same for the Lakers but was a Defensive Player of the Year caliber player.
Patrick Beverley is one of the most recent examples in the league, having a similar reputation to what Brooks has achieved now. Nobody should care about being nice and polite when it comes to winning time. Even if these players open themselves up to slander by challenging people who are on a different level to them on the court, at least they’re willing to stand up to the challenge whenever needed.
Dillon Brooks Secured $86 Million With His Actions
Brooks’ antagonistic actions towards the end of the season had many people thinking he was going to struggle to find a contract above the $10 million-per-year range. The Memphis Grizzlies threw him under the bus and issued a statement saying they wouldn’t bring him back under any circumstances. But as free agency opened, it seemed many teams were valuing what Brooks provided in terms of aggression and perimeter defense.
The Rockets beat out all teams offering non-tax MLE contracts to Brooks with a long-term deal that netted him over $20 million a season, a goal he had established for himself when he entered the 22-23 season with the Grizzlies.
Even if people think it’s an overpay, Brooks has secured his contract due to his on-court antics. Whether or not he lives up to the dollar value remains to be seen. Either way, he was one of the biggest winners of the offseason and he likely wouldn’t have been able to get the money he did without the actions that supposedly hurt his career after the playoffs.
