Stephen Jackson Calls ‘Bullsh*t’ on Dillon Brooks’ Controversial Departure from Grizzlies: ‘When You Offend LeBron, Everybody Gets Mad’

When the news broke of Dillon Brooks’ departure from the Memphis Grizzlies, many pointed to Brooks’ declining play as the reason the team chose not to re-sign him.

Stephen Jackson, however, believes there’s an agenda at play.

On an episode of I AM ATHLETE’s Paper Route podcast, the former NBA player appeared as a guest and accused the team of conspiring against Brooks because he called out Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James during the first-round playoff series between the two.

“For me, I think it’s bullshit,” Jackson said. “I guess if you offend LeBron, everybody gets mad. I guess when you compete against LeBron, everybody gets mad. Yeah, he got a chip on his shoulder. Yeah, he might say some things. But he ain’t the first player to do that. Ron Artest did it, I did, Draymond [Green] does it.

“I guess he poked the wrong bear, but I don’t agree with that shit.”

After the Grizzlies won Game 2 of the series, Brooks became the center of the NBA community’s attention when he called James “old” and suggested he wasn’t a challenge to defend. The team then lost back-to-back games to the Lakers and were ultimately eliminated from the playoffs by way of a 40-point blowout in Game 6.

Brooks struggled mightily in the series. Filling the role as the team’s “3 and D” player, Brooks was expected to be a reliable 3-point shooter and defender. He found little success in both departments throughout the six games.

Just days after the Grizzlies were eliminated, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the team would not be re-signing him “under any circumstances.”

Like fellow NBA alumnus Kendrick Perkins, Jackson took exception to that language.

“I don’t agree with them coming out and saying that shit,” Jackson continued. “Baltimore [Ravens] did the same shit with Lamar Jackson, tried to come out and demean him so nobody else would sign him. I’ve been in those shoes when people try to demean your character and say these certain things about you, and don’t understand that this guy just likes playing the game a certain type of way.

“Is he the most talented player? No, but he competes. He’s in the NBA for a reason. Y’all signed him. Y’all brought him there for a reason. But don’t demean him now because he said some things or he might’ve ruffled y’all’s feathers.”

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