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Moments Before Trashing Dillon Brooks, Millionaire Shaquille O’Neal Taught Him a Valuable Lesson: “My Mama and Pops Did Not Play That”

Published 05/04/2023, 9:00 AM EDT

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The NBA postseason has been quite intense and brought out a different side to the players. The first round of the playoffs just wrapped up last week, but the consequences of the incidents from the game are still unraveling. The games between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies caused the most uproar; especially the evolving beef between LeBron James and Dillon Brooks. From staggering insults and trash-talk to on-court violence, Brooks is dealing with the aftermath of his actions.

The LA Lakers sent the Memphis Grizzlies home after a crushing defeat in Round one of the postseason despite consistent provocation and fouls from Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks. Brooks’ actions, however, caught everyone’s eye and received a lot of backlash from many legends in the NBA world, including Shaquille O’Neal.

The future for Memphis Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks

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After the Grizzlies’ exit from the NBA postseason, another update has created waves in the league. The team management announced that Dillon Brooks will not be returning to the Memphis Grizzlies next season “under any circumstances”. While loyal Lakers fans are having a field day with the announcement, NBA veterans and fellow players stand divided.

via Imago

Former Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal in the latest episode of The Big Podcast, in utter disbelief, started off by confirming the reports with his fellow panelists. He shared his understanding of Brooks’ possible predicament when asked by fellow host Nischelle what he thought.

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Shaq expressed, “I know exactly what happened- you make it, you stop feeling like yourself. You get a little bit of money and you stop feeling like yourself…and a lot of time when you stop feeling yourself, you forget about yourself.”

O’Neal added that he understands because he too was in a similar position when he let his success get to him. But he added that my Mama and Pops did not play thatand he conveyed that sometimes you need to be around people you respect and who will keep you grounded.

Shaquille O’Neal gives Brooks a piece of his mind

Shaq moved on to elaborate on Brooks’ banishment and explained why the need to feel yourself is important. He said “When you are [not] feeling yourself you just do whatever you wanna do. Man, we gotta practice- I ain’t doing that sh*t!'” He further went on to explain the downside of thinking you are better than those around you and not caring about the game.

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He used his own example to give Brooks a reality check.

 

Shaq bluntly stated, “And he [Dillon Brooks] did not play enough to be acting like that,” adding “now he is either going to be out the league or he gonna have to check [himself] before he wrecks himself.” While the candid comments raised some eyebrows, Shaq did give the young star a reason to re-evaluate his choices. 

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WATCH THIS STORY: As Staggering Insult on Live TV Leaves LeBron James Unfazed, Lakers Star Shoots Daggers at Ja Morant’s Grizzlies

Do you deem the decision to banish the 27-year-old star and Shaq’s assessment of him to be fair? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Ishpreet Kaur

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Ishpreet Kaur is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With a Bachelor's degree in Arts from the University of British Columbia, Ishpreet has developed a deep understanding of the intricacies of storytelling and writing. Her passion for the Toronto Raptors and their championship run in 2019 is evident in her writing, but she also brings a unique perspective to her coverage of the NBA as a whole.
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Edited by:

Debmallya Chakraborty