Brooks 33 Points and Visible Trash Talk (Lakers Road)

On December 2, 2025, in Los Angeles, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Lakers 125–108. Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 33 points and, according to ESPN reporting, used the matchup as a stage for visible in-game and postgame provocation directed at LeBron James. Game coverage noted Brooks' scoring outburst and that his on-court demeanor and exchanges with LeBron drew attention in the arena [9]. Specifics reported: Brooks' 33-point performance came in a Suns road win on Dec. 2, 2025, and multiple outlets captured instances of him celebrating, making gestures, and verbally engaging with opponents during the game; postgame reporting quoted Brooks calling LeBron a "social media junkie" and asserting, "He likes people that bow down. I don't bow down," lines picked up in timeline coverage of the renewed antagonism [9][2]. Immediate reactions included social and video clips circulating online of Brooks' celebrations and stares at LeBron, ESPN storylines about the continuing feud, and questions about whether the rivalry would produce further on-court incidents in upcoming meetings [9].

The Dec. 2, 2025 game mattered because it demonstrated that the Brooks–LeBron antagonism persisted after Brooks moved to the Suns and more than two years after the initial 2023 incidents. Brooks' 33-point outburst combined high-level performance with targeted provocation, showing the dispute was not limited to the Grizzlies era and that Brooks continued to use taunting as part of his competitive identity [9][2].

Media and fans flagged the Dec. 2 exchange as a sign the rivalry would remain active; ESPN and timeline pieces connected the postgame comments to the 2023 origin. On Dec. 14, 2025 the two met again in Phoenix and the matchup produced further escalation: Brooks hit a go-ahead 3 but was later ejected for chest-to-chest contact after the shot, an incident that resulted in late-game free throws for LeBron and a Lakers win [8][9].