Dillon Brooks never misses a chance to cook somebody. And if that someone is among his teammates, then he doesn’t hesitate to go ultra level.
The Phoenix Suns forward returned to the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night and dropped 21 points in a dominant 117-98 blowout W. But his postgame comments stole the show by making sure his ex-teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. remembers him for a long time.
Dillon Brooks Roasts Jaren Jackson Jr. With a Brutally Funny Jab
Brooks went at his former Grizzlies teammates with the kind of trash talk only real friends can handle. His so-called villain reputation stays intact even when he’s kicking it with his old squad.
After the convincing victory, he was asked about catching up with his ex-teammates, including Grizzlies forward Jackson Jr. Brooks nailed it again in the post-game interview as his response was pure comedy gold.
“You know, I miss them, talking about basketball and stuff about my personal life. Jaren called me ugly, but he’s uglier than me,” the 29-year-old joked.
Just to recap, Brooks and JJJ clearly have that kind of bond where they can clown each other on live TV without catching feelings. That’s real friendship right there, but he didn’t care about those personal brotherhood feelings when he torched Grizzlies with 18 first-half points to build the lead.
Dillon Brooks on reuniting with his Grizzlies teammates:
“Jaren called me ugly, but he’s uglier than me.” 🤣
(h/t @ridiculouscage)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 8, 2026
The Suns bounced back strong after Monday’s heartbreaker against Houston Rockets. Brooks played enforcer on both ends, showing why Phoenix refuses to trade him despite constant rumors.
Meanwhile, Jackson paced the short-handed Grizzlies with 19 points. The home team got absolutely cooked from start to finish and Brooks made sure to make fun of that in his postgame interview.
Dillon Brooks Looks Back at Grizzlies Years With Love, Not Regret
However, that trash talk never stops, even with his boys from Memphis. But it comes from a place of genuine love and respect built over years together.
He confessed his feelings following the W against Grizzlies. The Canadian wing said about Ja Morant and JJJ, “We grew up together in this NBA, where we made ourselves have a name in it, be known and make money and all this stuff. These things will never ever dissipate. Those are my friends for life.”
Dillon Brooks on Ja Morant/Jaren Jackson Jr.:
“We grew up together in this NBA, where we made ourselves have a name in it, be known and make money and all this stuff. These things will never ever dissipate. Those are my friends for life.” https://t.co/ihbkqDnOMH
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) January 8, 2026
He told The Daily Memphian that the Grizzlies “moved too fast” in letting him go after this reunion on Wednesday. The criticism of management showed he still has feelings about how things ended.
But those relationships with players remain solid. Brooks doesn’t fake anything on or off the court. When he jokes about JJJ being ugly, it’s because they’re tight enough to talk smack freely.
