What is the NBA preseason for? It is supposed to ease teams into a new season. But Dillon Brooks clearly had other plans. Less than five minutes into the Phoenix Suns’ opener against the Detroit Pistons, the veteran forward found himself at the center of a heated confrontation, again. The on-court incident ended with an opponent grabbing Brooks’ neck.
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It has immediately revived the question that has followed Brooks throughout his career: how far can his physical, ‘poke-the-bear’ mentality and antagonistic style go before it crosses the line? To remind you, he was the league leader in technical fouls last season.
So, last night’s altercation began with 7:23 remaining in the first quarter, as Brooks battled John Collins in the paint. He used his usual physicality, including an extended forearm, before Collins secured an offensive rebound over him. But the NBA villain wasn’t done, reaching around his opponent from behind with force as he tried to get at the ball.
Collins immediately turned around and reached for Brooks’ neck. Brooks shrugged off his hand and used the basketball as the only barrier between himself and Collins. Teammates, officials and security quickly separated them.
Before the incident, Brooks had already engaged in aggressive hip checks, pulling the chair and elbow contact. It ultimately reached the boiling point… There’s no established personal rivalry between the two of them, making the sudden exchange even more notable.
Collins addressed it after the game and told the media he “wasn’t necessarily trying to set that tone, but I’m glad I did. Just sometimes you have to play basketball and get physical. I’m going to go out there and compete every night.”
Were they punished for it?
Officials initially assessed double technical fouls before reviewing the sequence. After a lengthy replay review, Collins received a Flagrant 1 while Brooks was handed a technical. Crucially, the refs didn’t eject anyone, and both remained available as Phoenix built a 68-50 lead before Detroit rallied for a 109-107 victory.
Even though refs kept the on-court punishment relatively limited, the league can still review the confrontation after the game. A Flagrant 1 covers unnecessary contact, while a Flagrant 2 is reserved for unnecessary and excessive contact.
Brooks has plenty of history that makes the incident noteworthy. His history even earned him an infamous moniker: Dillon the Villain.
He led the NBA with 17 technical fouls last season, plus 4 flagrant fouls. A regular-season accumulation of 16 technical fouls triggers an automatic one-game suspension, with another suspension coming for every two additional technical fouls. However, the preseason technicals will not carry into the regular season.
In the offseason, though, Brooks admitted he required therapy and had “a lot to get off my chest,” referring to the pressure of playing in the NBA around foul-baiters and the media.
Brooks is most popularly known for his flare-ups with LeBron James over the years. Tensions first hit the ceiling when the now-Philadelphia 76ers star did the “too small” celebration in 2021. He did it again two years later in the playoffs after Brooks went to call him “old” and “just another basketball player.”
James didn’t react to any of it and simply outscored Brooks 84 to 36 for the rest of the first-round series, even winning it. On the other hand, Brooks struggled, averaging 10.5 points on 31.2 percent shooting from the field and 23.8 percent from deep.
It was only after winning that James responded on Instagram, writing: “If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear, HELP THE BEAR.” It was a reference to Brooks’ ‘poke the bear’ comments and to showing no respect for LeBron earlier. Tempers flared between them again in December 2025.
Last night, for Detroit, the altercation was an expectedly fiery introduction for its newest frontcourt piece. The Pistons signed Collins to a three-year, $51 million deal in July after he arrived through a six-team transaction. He stepped into the spot Tobias Harris vacated when he left for the San Antonio Spurs.
The Pistons expect Collins to provide shooting, finishing, and athleticism alongside Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, while viewing the combination as central to reshaping their frontcourt.
That fit is important. Collins shot 40.6 percent from three-point range last season, while his career mark stands at 36.9 percent. This gives the Pistons a frontcourt player who can stretch the floor instead of relying entirely on interior scoring. His athleticism also gives Cunningham another lob threat.
The recent exchange with Dillon Brooks will not define Collins’ season. But it did reveal something about the intensity Detroit brings to its new-look group. The Pistons finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference last season. And the team added Collins to strengthen that roster. Not simply to fill a vacant spot.
On the other hand, for Phoenix, Dillon remains one of its emotional and physical tone-setters. He averaged a career-best 20.2 ppg last season and has built a notorious reputation. His first preseason game has already shown that edge has followed him into another season.
The NBA’s post-game review protocol will determine whether the brief preseason scuffle warrants anything more.