In the next couple of hours, the defending champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, will take on the Phoenix Suns in a Western Conference matchup.
For the most part, the NBA is respected as a brotherhood, with many players having solid relationships with one another.
However, there are a few players who have the reputation of getting under other players' skin and aren't usually shown much love outside of their own teammates, and Suns forward Dillon Brooks is one of those players. Still, if he doesn't have a relationship with anyone on the team other than the Suns, he has one with the reigning league MVP.
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SGA expresses his appreciation for Dillon Brooks
It may or may not count, considering the two played together for Team Canada in the 2024 Olympics, but SGA made sure to show his appreciation for Brooks during his pre-game media session on Sunday.
"One of the best teammates I've ever had. No ego, and as crazy as he is on the court, he's the complete opposite, but I appreciate him more because he can flip that switch and do whatever it takes to win games," SGA said.
Gilgeous-Alexander also declared that Brooks impacts winning, citing how every team catches a stride and turns the franchise around when he's on the team, and Brooks is continuing to have an impact on the Suns as well.
Brooks is the team's second leading scorer, averaging 21.4 points in 30 minutes a game, and shooting 46 percent from the field, and has stepped up as the second option beside All-Star Devin Booker, and has helped the team to a 20-14 record through 34 games, which is currently suitable for the seventh seed.
In a season where many thought Phoenix would begin a rebuild with the departures of multi-time all-stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, players like Brooks, along with Booker, haven't gone down without a fight, which backs Gilgeous-Alexander's comments about Brooks.
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