When Egos Clash: Inside the Timeline of Dillon Brooks and Lebron James's Beef

Nicki Minaj once said, “I don’t care how long it takes to get an opp back,” on her hit song “Do We Have a Problem.” And it’s safe to assume that Phoenix Suns player Dillon Brooks subscribes to that belief.

NBA fans know very well that Dillon and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James do not see eye-to-eye. While most folks know that the beef stemmed from Dillon fully leaning into the villain arc that the league and fans have bestowed upon him, he has shown no signs of slowing down.

And after Dillon was spotted at Game 4 of the second-round playoff series between the Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, it’s clear that his disdain for Lebron is deep.

Petty is as petty does. While most NBA players who have been eliminated from playoff contention are focused on spending time with loved ones, Dillon took the time to activate his petty.

Per Rolling Loud, Dillon spent May 11 attending Game 4 of the Lakers vs. Thunder game. Dressed in an all-black ensemble, Dillon was posted below the rim looking on as OKC handled business and sent the Lakers to Cancun.

While watching the game, fans noticed that Dillon was overjoyed to see the Lakers fall, with the site sharing that he was laughing in delight. We all know that Dillon’s pettiness is far from subtle, but his actions have been minted as borderline diabolical.

"Dillon Brooks bought a ticket to Game 4, not to play, but to watch LeBron lose. REAL VILLAIN," one X user shared.

The beef between Dillon and LeBron started after the now Phoenix Suns star shared his love for annoying fellow NBA players. According to Rolling Out, during the 2023 NBA playoffs series, Dillon expressed the joy he gets from antagonizing his opponents.

Interestingly, during Game 2 of the play-in series, ESPN shares that Dillon took shots at LeBron’s age.

"I don't care — he's old. You know what I mean?" Dillon said about their mid-game argument. "I was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that [in] Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears. I don't respect no one until they come and give me 40."

During Game 3, the then-Memphis Grizzlies player hit LeBron below the belt. As a result, he was given a one-game suspension. In the end, the Lakers reigned supreme, closing out the series in six games.

LeBron also took a moment to clap back at Dillon. The site shares that LeBron took to Instagram to throw a dig at Dillon, referring to him as a bear in the woods and joking about the bear having the upper hand.

"If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear, HELP THE BEAR," LeBron captioned the Instagram post.

From there, the two men frequently had close calls on the court. In December 2025, Dillon and LeBron nearly came to blows after Dillon mistakenly hit LeBron with the ball. He later called LeBron a “social media junkie.” In a later game, Dillon accused LeBron of wanting people to kiss up to him.

"He likes people that bow down," Dillon told ESPN. "I don't bow down. So, that either entices him or it aggravates him, either-or."