Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks delivered one of the most viral moments of the 2026 NBA playoffs during the Western Conference Semifinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Brooks attended Game 4 between the Lakers and the Thunder and could be seen laughing at LeBron James while sitting courtside.
Brooks instantly became a meme that night, and he has finally explained why he was laughing at James during an appearance on the Road Trippin’ Show.
“What’s funny is I got the ticket from Rich [Paul],” Brooks said. “I asked Rich for the tickets. So, he put me, I guess, right here, and I didn’t know going in. So, I’m already preparing like I want to go and wear some ice… So, I was thinking like, you know what? I want to go to Game 3. I want to watch a playoff game, and look at it from a different point of view than me playing it.
“‘Cause when we were playing against OKC, I was just so like just locked in, locked in, locked in,” Brooks continued. “So now I’m like, let me watch it from the other point of view. So I wanted Game 3, like it’s easier for Game 4. I’m like, all right, perfect for Game 4. And then I get to the seats. I’m like, ‘Oh, s***.’… So like I guess he was talking to a fan or something. Like a LA fan, and I guess he was like, ‘I know you’re throwing shade at me.’
“You know how he talks like, ‘I know you’re throwing shade at me. I know, I know, I know,'” Brooks added. “So I’m looking at him, I’m like, ‘Oh my god, he’s really worried about this fan right here, and you’re 3-0 right now.’ I’m just cracking up right here, and I’m telling my agent on the side, I’m like, ‘Damn, he’s really focused on the wrong s*** right now.'”
James was at the free throw line at that point, and it’s quite bizarre that a Lakers fan would throw shade at him in that moment. It was just the first quarter of the game, so it’s not as if the team was getting blown out and someone had to vent their frustration. It’s quite puzzling.
We’ll never know how much that impacted James, but he finished with 24 points (8-18 FG), 12 rebounds, three assists, and one block. The 41-year-old wasn’t at his best, but that was more down to the Thunder’s greatness. They’d beat the Lakers 115-110 to sweep them out of the playoffs.
Brooks being at the game was likened to someone showing up to their enemy’s funeral to make sure they’re dead. The Thunder had swept his Suns as well in the first round, and seeing James suffer the same fate would have eased the blow.
Brooks has hilariously called himself James’ top hater. He has been going at the 22-time All-Star on and off the court for a while now. Brooks also told James to stop making everyone wait for his free agency decision and make it already. He wants to have more battles on the court. As for where James ends up, Brooks thinks he’s headed to the Golden State Warriors. That’s where most neutrals probably want to see him go.
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