"When you compete against LeBron, everyone gets mad"- Stephen Jackson blasts Grizzlies for letting Dillon Brooks go after loss to Lakers
The Memphis Grizzlies have already made it very clear that they will not be re-signing free agent wing Dillon Brooks this offseason, which has not enthused 14-year NBA veteran Stephen Jackson.
That comes following what many deemed questionable antics from Brooks in the Memphis Grizzlies’ first-round loss to the LA Lakers. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported earlier this week that Brooks will not be back in Memphis “under any circumstances.” However, according to Jackson, the Grizzlies are treating Brooks unfairly.
On I Am Athlete’s "Paper Route" podcast, Jackson spoke about the Grizzlies' decision to move on from Brooks. Jackson said that Brooks shouldn’t be penalized for his trash-talking of Lakers star forward LeBron James. Jackson feels the NBA has always had players with similar personalities to Brooks:
“I think it’s bullsh*t,” Jackson said. “I guess if you offend LeBron, everybody gets mad. I guess when you compete against LeBron, everybody gets mad.
“Yeah, he got a chip on his shoulder. Yeah, he might say some things. But he ain’t the first player to do that. Ron Artest did it. I did. Draymond (Green) does it. I don’t agree with them coming out and saying that sh*t. I guess he poked the wrong bear, but I don’t agree with that sh*t. I don’t agree with them coming out and saying that sh*t.”
Jackson added that people don’t understand that certain players express themselves differently when competing:
“I’ve been in those shoes when people try to demean your character and say these certain things about you and don’t understand that this guy just likes playing the game a certain type of way,” Jackson said.
“Is he the most talented player? No, but he competes. He’s in the NBA for a reason. You signed him. You brought him there for a reason. But don’t demean him now because he said some things or he might’ve ruffled your feathers.”
Stephen Jackson says it’s ‘bullsh!t’ how the Grizzlies treated Dillon Brooks
“I guess when you compete against LeBron everyone gets mad”
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Dillon Brooks first made headlines this postseason when he called LeBron James “old” and insinuated that James was past his prime. Brooks added that he doesn’t respect his opponents “until they come and give (him) 40 (points).”
Following his trash talk, the Grizzlies proceeded to lose their first-round series against the Lakers 4-2, with Brooks struggling mightily. Brooks averaged 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 3-pointers per game while shooting just 31.2% and 23.8% from three over six games.
Stephen Jackson says Grizzlies should have held Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant accountable for shortcomings
In his Paper Route podcast appearance, Stephen Jackson spoke about the roots of the Memphis Grizzlies' shortcomings.
Jackson acknowledged that maturity was an issue for the team. However, he said that Memphis should not have singled out Dillon Brooks as a scapegoat. Instead, Jackson said that Memphis should have held star point guard Ja Morant equally accountable:
“What would have been better for Memphis was to come out and say, 'You know what, we can't have Ja doing all this and Dillon. We have to get rid of one of them for the betterment of our organization,’” Jackson said.
“Don't just try to single Dillon Brooks out just because he played the game a certain way with a chip on his shoulder to make it seem like he's a bad guy, and we're just going to come out and say we don't want to bring him back at all. I think that's bullsh*t on their behalf.”
Ja Morant was suspended for eight games in the regular season for conduct detrimental to the team. Morant had brandished a gun at a Colorado nightclub. He was also previously accused of flashing a gun during an altercation with a minor at a pickup basketball game.
Morant has since apologized for his actions and reiterated in his end-of-season press conference that he needs to be better in his decision-making:
"I've just got to be better with my decision-making," Morant said, via ESPN. "That's pretty much it. Off-the-court issues affected us as an organization pretty much. Just (need) more discipline."
So all things considered, most would agree that the Grizzlies are in desperate need of more sound veteran leadership. However, as Jackson pointed out, perhaps the organization could have gone about making these changes differently.
Also Read: NBA Rumors: Early indications point towards 'some interest' in Dillon Brooks