Dillon Brooks has escalated his long-running feud with LeBron James to a new level, mocking the four-time champion publicly during an NBA 2K League stream and declaring himself the King’s biggest hater as the basketball world waits for James to announce his next team.
Brooks, coming off a career-best season with the Phoenix Suns, did not hold back when asked about James’s protracted free agency decision. The 30-year-old forward urged James to stop the waiting game and pick a team so he could face him again. “This is me saying, LeBron, come back for one more year, man.
Come back for one more year. Stop all this waiting,” Brooks said, sounding visibly frustrated with the uncertainty surrounding one of the greatest players in history.
When the stream’s host pressed Brooks to confirm if he considers himself the biggest LeBron James hater in the league, Brooks did not hesitate. “Oh, I’m top. I’m top, for sure,” he answered without a hint of deflection or humor, claiming the villain mantle outright.
Then he went further, offering a definitive prediction on where James will land: Golden State.
That prediction runs directly counter to the latest reporting from ESPN insider Shams Charania, who has narrowed James’s focus to three teams: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers. The Warriors are not even on the list according to the league’s most plugged-in source. Brooks chose to go against that reporting anyway, likely because facing James alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green—two other players Brooks has openly beefed with—would create the maximum chaos he craves.
The stakes of this rivalry are rooted in a defining playoff series from 2023. While with the Memphis Grizzlies, Brooks talked trash to James before and during a first-round matchup, calling the legend “old” and saying he didn’t care about his legacy. James responded by outscoring Brooks 84-36 over the rest of the series, leading the Lakers to a 4-2 victory and ending Memphis’s chances.
James famously posted a rap lyric after the series: “If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a grizzly bear, help the bear.”
That defeat did not silence Brooks. Instead, it cemented his obsession. After signing a four-year, $80 million deal with Houston, Brooks hit James in the face during a game, earning a flagrant one foul.
LeBron’s response was dismissive: “Next question.” Brooks continued to escalate after moving to Phoenix this season, leading to an ejection in December when he bumped and yelled at James after a foul call. He also brought James’s son Bronny into the trash talk, a deeply personal move.
Brooks even attended the Lakers’ playoff elimination game against Oklahoma City this year, sitting courtside and laughing as James shot free throws during a sweep. The moment went 𝓿𝒾𝓇𝒶𝓁, with social media calling it “certified villain behavior” and even earning a mention in a rap song by Rylo Rodriguez. Barstool Sports amplified the narrative, branding Brooks as the biggest hater of the year.
Now, with James still unsigned, Brooks is using every platform to keep the pot boiling. He has also taken shots at Lakers role player Jarred Vanderbilt, calling him overrated on a live stream, and firmly picked Michael Jordan over James in the GOAT debate, citing efficiency and championships. Yet in a twist, Brooks admitted in a different interview that he does not actually hate James.
“No, I don’t,” he laughed when asked directly, suggesting the animosity is confined to the court.
That distinction does little to cool the tension. Brooks is set to return to Phoenix for the 2026-27 season after averaging a career-best 20. 2 points per game.
He is under contract for nearly $20 million next season, making him a potential trade target if the Lakers lose James. Analysts have already floated the ironic possibility that Brooks could be brought in to replace his long-time rival as a three-and-D wing alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
If James does join the Warriors as Brooks predicted, the Suns would face him at least four times next season in the Pacific Division, guaranteeing more confrontations and more 𝓿𝒾𝓇𝒶𝓁 moments. Brooks’s entire off-season has been spent ensuring his name remains tied to James’s choice, no matter the outcome.
From Memphis to Houston to Phoenix, one thing has remained consistent: wherever LeBron James goes, Dillon Brooks will have something to say about it. And this summer, he has made it clear he is ready for round four.
