(Manila) “Bad guy” singled out last season in the NBA, Dillon Brooks, a surly and loud-mouthed defender, rose from the ashes at the Basketball World Cup with Canada, of which he is one of the key players.
On Wednesday, the stocky and braided winger waited with boxing gloves on for his teammates in the corridors of the Mall of Asia Arena after the victory against Slovenia (100-89), synonymous with Canada’s first World Cup semi-final. of its history (Friday against Serbia in Manila).
Because he was sent off in the middle of the third quarter after a second technical foul, and also probably because the former Memphis Grizzlies player likes to cultivate his “bad boy” image.
He denounced her in the spring, after receiving his third exclusion of the season during Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs against the Lakers, for hitting “King” James in the groin.
“The media made me a bad guy, the fans made me a bad guy and that created a completely different image of me,” he judged, denying having “the intention to hit LeBron James in the… “.
” I play basketball. I’m a basketball player,” he proclaimed.
Brooks (1.98 m, 27 years old) had also, before match N.2, mocked the age of LeBron James (38 years old) calling him “old” who no longer had the “same level” as before .
One of his last speeches with the Memphis jersey, which then pointed him in the direction of Houston.
A fan of “trashtalk”, Brooks continued to bite the calves and whisper sweet words to Luka Doncic on Thursday in the quarters, fueling the frustration of the NBA and Slovenia star, who was ultimately excluded a few minutes after him, too. for a second technical foul.
“A lot of people don’t like Dillon Brooks, but I respect him for what he does. And he does it very well,” Doncic later said.
Booed by the Filipino public as soon as the teams were presented, Brooks in return sent him ironic kisses on at least two occasions, after successful winning shots.
After this match, his coach, Jordi Fernandez, praised the quality of his “clinical defense, chest and hands forward when pressing all-terrain”.
“If you don’t think so, you don’t like basketball,” added the Spaniard, however regretting his exclusion: “He must do better. We need him on the floor. He has no right to be excluded. We must, collectively, show more composure. »
Canada cannot in fact do without Brooks, much more than a defender in the selection: he has scored since the start of the World Cup on average 11 points per game, with 55% success from distance (plus 2.7 rebounds and 2 .5 assists).
And he was decisive (22 points including 3/3 3-pointers, 5 rebounds) during the double-win match against Spain (88-85).
After this qualification in the quarters, he had delivered on his rebirth in the jersey of Canada, after his “complicated year with (his) former team” of Memphis: “It’s great to be able to recharge your batteries with Canadian blood. Guys who believe in me, who trust me. »
He will try with them, on Friday, to reach the World Cup final.