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LA Lakers superstar LeBron James was hit in the nose by Houston Rockets guard Dillon Brooks in the fourth quarter of their game on Monday. With a little over five minutes remaining in the final period, Brooks and James battled for a rebound. The former Memphis Grizzlies enforcer intentionally took a swipe at James when he couldn’t grab the ball.
“King James” spent several minutes on the floor grimacing in pain. The referees reviewed the play and assessed a Flagrant 1 foul on Brooks who remained in the game. James and the Lakers couldn’t believe the All-NBA Defensive guard wasn’t tossed out for the hit.
A clip of a furious LeBron James talking to the referees has become viral. James, per the translation, said:
“He goes and punches me in the nose and it’s only a Flagrant 1 [foul]?! My nose was bleeding. The f**k you are talking about?”
One of the referees who wasn’t looking at the replay thought James was hit in the chin. The Lakers’ vehement protests on the sidelines were for nothing as the Flagrant 1 foul stood. Brooks kept playing as the violation was not enough to have him ejected.
Dillon Brooks got under the skin of LeBron James and the Lakers
Dillon Brooks is easily one of the NBA’s best antagonists. He plays the villain role to the fullest and seemingly enjoys the vitriol thrown at him for his actions. LeBron James and the LA Lakers are very familiar with his antics but they still fell for it on Monday.
Brooks was with the Memphis Grizzlies last season when they faced LA in the playoffs. Memphis’ defensive stalwart made some bold claims that James and his teammates took personally. The seventh-seeded Lakers eventually pulled off an upset against their second-ranked opponents but not without some testy exchanges.
On several occasions, Dillon Brooks took LeBron James’ focus away from the game. Brooks’ style, which many called dirty, sometimes forced the four-time MVP to react. After the Lakers won the series, James went on Instagram to troll Brooks.
Against the Houston Rockets on Monday, James and his teammates knew what Brooks would do. And yet, they still fell for it. Jarred Vanderbilt was ejected for two successive technical fouls for shoving Brooks before taking a swipe at his head. Vanderbilt responded to his opponent’s repeated pushing and grabbing.
LeBron James wasn’t called for a technical foul but the trash-talking between him and Dillon Brooks was nearly continuous throughout the game. Brooks got under his skin on more than one occasion. “King James” was so frustrated that he even refused to answer questions after the game that involved his opponent’s name.
Houston and LA will not meet again unless they face each other in the playoffs. If that happens, count on fans to monitor the head-to-head battles between James and Brooks.
