Dillon Brooks Accuses Fans, Media of Making Him a Villain After Ejection vs. Lakers

• Memphis Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks says the perception of him contributed to his ejection vs. the Lakers
• Brooks received a flagrant 2 foul and an automatic ejection for hitting LeBron James in the groin area
• The Grizzlies went on to lose Game 3 against Los Angeles and are now down 2-1 in the playoff series

Memphis Grizzlies forward, Dillon Brooks has blamed the fans and media for making him a villain, something he believes led to him getting ejected against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3.

Brooks was hit with a flagrant 2 foul for hitting LeBron James in the groin area and was ejected in the process.

Brooks was heavily criticized for his actions after the game, in which the Grizzlies lost 101-111 to go down 2-1 in the series.

Although the Memphis swingman may feel wronged by the media and the fans, most of his problems this season are self-inflicted. He has made many enemies this season alone and is probably one of the most hated players in the league.

Rudy Gobert punches Timberwolves teammate Kyle Anderson during a timeout vs. Pelicans

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In February, Brooks was suspended for hitting Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell in the groin area, per Bleacher Report. He also had a shouting match with pro football Hall of Famer, Shannon Sharpe in January as well as run-ins with Golden State veteran, Draymond Green.

Brooks talks about his ejection

The 27-year-old declined to speak to the media after Game 3. LeBron James also refused to comment on the incident.

However, Brooks said the foul in Game 3 was an accident, per ESPN.

"The media making me a villain, the fans making me a villain and then that just creates a whole different persona on me. So now you think I intended to hit LeBron James in the nuts. I'm playing basketball. I'm a basketball player. So if I intended - and that's whatever is in the flagrant 2 category - if you think I did that, that means you think I'm that type of person."

Draymond Green calls Rudy Gobert "soft" for punching his Wolves teammate

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LeBron was classy about the Grizzlies star.

After a review by the NBA, Brooks won't face further punishment from the league. He said he knew he wasn't going to be suspended.

"I knew I wasn't going to be. They can't dictate this series like that. Marc probably had to call that 'cause of what happened [in Game 3] with James Harden, and that's just unfair. I get penalized, and I can't help my team try to make a comeback in the second half."

This was the third ejection for the Grizzlies' swingman this season and his second postseason ejection.

Brooks had a dreadful Game 3, going 3-of-13 from the floor.

Ja Morant defends Brooks

Sports Brief earlier reported on Morant defending his Grizzlies teammate after he was ejected from Game 3 of the playoffs.

The Memphis star said that when looking at the play, Brooks had been reaching for the ball in an attempt to get the crossover.

The Grizzlies scored just 9 points in the first quarter as their second-half comeback fell short, although Morant got 45 points.