[Saba Sports News] Dillon Brooks was ejected in the Houston Rockets’ preseason opener against the Indiana Pacers at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The veteran forward attributed his early exit to his reputation.
Brooks received a flagrant foul penalty two for a blow to the groin of Pacers’ Daniel Theis, leading to his ejection in under five minutes of play. When asked about the incident, Brooks believed that his league-wide image as a “villain” played a role in the referees’ decision, stating, “I guess it’s part of my reputation.”
“I tried to navigate a screen,” Brooks said, via the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen. “I might have tapped him below the waist. But he got right back up. I don’t know. It’s weird that every time it happens to me, I get picked on. I guess it’s part of reputation.”
He clarified that the blow was unintentional, a result of his aggressive playing style. The Rockets acquired Brooks from the Memphis Grizzlies in an offseason sign-and-trade deal, investing a substantial amount of guaranteed money in him.
Rockets fans, hoping for a culture change with the addition of Brooks and Fred VanVleet in the offseason, may find this preseason ejection less than promising.