Dillon Brooks has built a reputation as one of the loudest antagonists in the NBA, especially when it comes to LeBron James. From trash talk to on-court confrontations to blunt postgame quotes, Brooks has never hidden his disdain. That is what made his answer when asked about his Mount Rushmore of basketball so revealing. Brooks said his four were Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and, with some hesitation, he named LeBron James.
Dillon Brooks puts LeBron James on his NBA Mount Rushmore.
He pretends to be reluctant, but we know he’s his biggest fan. 💯
(via @WeTheHobby) pic.twitter.com/gF3wQO9Baj
— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) January 21, 2026
For a player who has openly called LeBron a ‘social media junkie’ and mocked his clutch shooting, the inclusion was striking. It was not a soft answer or not media-trained. It was honest. Brooks may dislike LeBron the competitor, but he respects LeBron the basketball player enough to place him among the four most important figures in NBA history.
That distinction matters. Brooks’s rivalry with LeBron has always been about competition, not the denial of greatness. He guards him hard, bumps him, and taunts him. He tries to drag him into uncomfortable moments. Yet none of that erases what LeBron represents to the league. Brooks, acknowledging that, publicly cuts through the caricature many fans have of him as someone who hates just to hate.
It also reinforces something LeBron has dealt with for two decades. Even his loudest critics often end up conceding his place in history. Brooks did exactly that. You can challenge LeBron, annoy him, and can even disrespect him in the moment. But pretending he is not an all-time great crosses into delusion, and Brooks did not go there.
What makes the answer even more interesting is the timing. Brooks has been in the middle of another strong season, embracing his role as an edge setter and defensive tone changer. He’s having a career year with the Phoenix Suns, averaging 20.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 44.1% from the field and 34.7% from three-point range.
Brooks thrives on friction, and his game feeds off confrontation. LeBron has long been one of his favorite targets because of what it represents. If you can bother LeBron, you matter. If you can get under his skin, you belong on the stage.
There is also a generational layer to this. Brooks grew up watching LeBron dominate the league. His entire NBA career exists inside the LeBron era. In fact, past tweets from Brooks show him raving about LeBron in 2012.
In the end, Brooks’ Mount Rushmore answer revealed more respect than any compliment ever could. Rivalries are loud. Greatness is undeniable. Dillon Brooks understands both.
