NBA Player Who Hit LeBron James in the Groin Says Fans Are Trying to 'Make Me a Villain'

Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks was ejected from Saturday's game for hitting Los Angeles Lakers star James in the groin, following days of trash talk

The NBA player who was ejected from Saturday's playoff game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies after hitting LeBron James in the groin says fans and the media are making him a "villain."

Dillon Brooks, a forward on the Grizzlies, was tossed from the game early in the third quarter after he swung out his left arm and hit James in the groin while the Lakers star was dribbling up the court.

James, 38, laid on the floor in pain while referees gathered and soon ejected Brooks, 27, for a flagrant 2 foul.

Brooks refused to answer questions about the incident after the Lakers went on to defeat the Grizzlies, taking a 2-1 series lead in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. But after the Grizzlies' practice on Sunday, Brooks blamed his ejection from the game on others' perception of him.

"The media making me a villain, the fans making me a villain and then that just creates a whole different persona on me," Brooks told reporters Sunday, according to ESPN. "So now you think I intended to hit LeBron James in the nuts. I'm playing basketball. I'm a basketball player. So if I intended — and that's whatever is in the flagrant 2 category — if you think I did that, that means you think I'm that type of person."

Related:Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks Calls LeBron James 'Old' After Lakers Lose Tense Game 2 of Series

Saturday's ejection came days after Brooks began publicly taunting James publicly.

Brooks, once a second-team All American in college back in 2017, told reporters he doesn't respect James, the four-time NBA Champion and league MVP, calling him "old."

"I don't care. He's old," Brooks said after he and James shared trash talk on the court during Game 2.

"I poke bears. I don't respect no one 'til they come and give me 40. I pride myself on what I do is defense and taking on any challenge," he added.

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James largely ignored the bait before and after Saturday's matchup, though he was caught on camera calmly confronting Brooks on the court before the game tipped off.

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"I don't need to make statements," James later said to reporters after the No. 7 seed Lakers defeated the No. 2 seed Grizzlies 111-101 Saturday.

"This is not my first rodeo," James added. "I've had this throughout my career with certain individuals. It's easy."

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