LeBron James has faced every form of trash talk imaginable. He's been an 18-year-old rookie facing scorn from grown men whose league he was about to usurp and he's been a 38-year-old fending off challengers to his throne. He's heard it in the preseason and he's heard it in the NBA Finals. It has ranged from overt shots to subtle jabs. At least half a dozen franchises count him as one of their fiercest rivals. When you've been both the most beloved and the most hated player in the NBA at different points in your career, you tend not to take any individual slight all that seriously.
So, naturally, James hasn't been especially bothered by the efforts of Dillon Brooks. The Memphis Grizzlies wing wasn't the first would-be James agitator and he won't be the last, but just about every time he gets in front of a microphone, he seems to dig himself a deeper hole. Before the postseason he said that he "wouldn't mind playing LeBron" because he wants to "knock him out right away." He got his wish. The Lakers won Game 1. After Memphis tied the series following Game 2, Brooks called James "old" and said that he doesn't "respect anyone until they come and give me 40."
James didn't quite drop 40 on Brooks, but he didn't need to. James still embarrassed his young challenger by leading the Lakers to jumping out to a historic 35-9 lead after 12 minutes. James scored 25 points in the win. Brooks shot 3 of 13 before being ejected for hitting James in the groin. While James refused to take the bait at his post-game media availability and fire back at Brooks, he did make it clear that he would not be rattled.
"This is not my first rodeo," James said. "I've had this throughout my career with certain individuals. It's easy, it's literally easy if you wanna ... we won tonight. Let me not say it. We won, [Anthony Davis] had a hell of a game. I'm not gonna do this."
Once Lance Stephenson has blown in your ear during a playoff game, you've pretty much seen it all. James has faced legendary trash-talkers like Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace and Draymond Green. He's carried on multi-year feuds with multiple players named Stephenson (Lance and the slightly differently-spelled Deshawn Stevenson). Brooks is one of the NBA's best wing defenders. He can bother James with his play.
But nothing he says will ever bother a player as experienced as James. Brooks is going to need a new tactic if he hopes to tie this series on Monday in Los Angeles. He might have caught on to that idea. Brooks refused to talk to the media after Game 3. It's an approach he should maintain moving forward. Bears, after all, aren't meant to be poked.
