Dillon Brooks rarely hands out compliments. That is exactly why this one landed so loudly. During a recent livestream appearance, the Phoenix Suns forward flipped expectations in real time. Moments after dismissing one of the NBA’s most iconic figures, Brooks elevated another superstar with a level of respect that instantly caught the league’s attention.
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That moment came on February 1, 2026, when Brooks appeared on a livestream with influencer N3on and was asked a simple question. Who is the hardest player he has ever guarded? His answer, delivered without hesitation, reshaped the conversation.
Brooks did not hedge. He did not qualify the response. He went straight to the point. “Luka,” Brooks said. “He’s got that quick first step, and once he gets you on his back or on his hip, you’re kind of at his mercy.”
The praise stood out because of who Brooks is. He has built his reputation as one of the league’s most confrontational defenders, both on the floor and off it. Compliments from him are rare, especially ones delivered so cleanly.
Yet the respect felt earned. Brooks has guarded Luka Doncic repeatedly, and the results explain the deference. Across 12 career matchups against Brooks, Doncic is averaging 29.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists. He has never scored fewer than 20 points in any of those games. That production turned Brooks’ answer from a viral clip into a statistical reality.
Dillon Brooks on the hardest player to guard in the NBA: “Luka. He’s got that quick first step and then once he got you on his back or on his hip, it’s like, you’re kind of at his mercy. He has countless of moves like step-throughs, fadeaways,…” pic.twitter.com/EXffx5HoZK
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) February 1, 2026
What amplified the reaction was the timing. In the same livestream, Brooks labeled LeBron James as the most overrated player in the NBA. The two are now teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers, which only sharpened the contrast.
Brooks’ rivalry with LeBron has simmered for years. This season, it escalated further after an on-court altercation. As things stand, Brooks holds a 2–1 edge over the 41-year-old in head-to-head meetings this year, with another matchup scheduled later in the month.
That backdrop made Brooks’ praise of Luka impossible to ignore. One Lakers star was dismissed. The other was elevated. The sequence mattered. It turned a defensive compliment into a statement about hierarchy.
Brooks’ words did not come from theory. They came from experience. He has guarded Luka multiple times. Most of those nights ended poorly for the defender. Doncic’s blend of strength, footwork, and patience has consistently bent matchups in his favor, even against elite wing stoppers.
Brooks acknowledging that reality speaks to Luka’s control of space and tempo. It also explains why many around the league quietly agreed with the assessment once the clip circulated. This was not praise designed to flatter. It was an admission shaped by results.
Brooks labels Luka Doncic’s blockbuster trade to the Lakers as sketchy
Despite holding Luka in high regard, Brooks also expressed skepticism about how the Slovenian ended up in Los Angeles. During the same livestream, the conversation turned to Doncic’s blockbuster move from Dallas to the Lakers. Brooks pointed out the trade casually, while N3on responded by calling it “sketchy.” Brooks smirked and laughed, letting the moment pass without pushing back.
The reaction matched how much of the league initially felt.
Doncic was traded to the Lakers in February last year as part of a three-team deal. He arrived in Los Angeles alongside Markeiff Morris and Maxi Kleber. Dallas received Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. The Utah Jazz took in Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-rounders.
In hindsight, the results have tilted toward Los Angeles. The Lakers secured a long-term franchise centerpiece in Doncic, smoothing the eventual transition away from LeBron James. Davis’ talent has never been questioned, but availability has been an issue since his move to Dallas.
The big man is currently sidelined with a ligament injury in his left hand and has missed 29 of the Mavericks’ 49 games this season.
That contrast only strengthens the meaning behind Brooks’ comments. The player he labeled overrated is nearing the end of his run. The one he called the hardest to guard is now positioned as the face of the franchise.
Brooks did not set out to redefine anything. He answered a question honestly. Still, his comments landed at a moment when roles across the league are shifting. Veterans are being challenged. New pillars are being crowned. Defensive respect is often the clearest signal of real dominance.
By elevating Luka Doncic while dismissing LeBron James in the same breath, Dillon Brooks unintentionally captured that transition. And with another Suns-Lakers matchup looming, the next chapter of that tension is already waiting to be written.