LeBron not trading trash talk with Brooks before Game 3

April 22, 2023  -EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James has seemed wise beyond his years since the start of his basketball journey, and he wasn’t about to drop down to Dillon Brooks’ level of discourse heading into a pivotal game for the Los Angeles Lakers.

James declined to respond to the Memphis Grizzlies’ top agitator Friday after Brooks said the top scorer in NBA history was “old” following Game 2 of the teams’ first-round playoff series, which resumes Saturday night in Los Angeles.

The 38-year-old James patiently parried several questions about Brooks’ comments and about the importance of trash talk in general before abruptly cutting short his media session at the Lakers’ training complex. James never said Brooks’ name, but he clearly knew who’s behind the narrative trying to push its way into a competitive series after two eventful games in Memphis.

“I’m ready to play,” James said. “That’s it.”