"I'm glad he was there" - Dillon Brooks explains why he blew a kiss to Dwyane Wade vs. Greece
Dillon Brooks' Olympic debut went well. He helped lead Canada to a thrilling win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece, finishing with 14 points and a team-high three 3-pointers (on four attempts).
After sinking a shot from beyond the arc in the second quarter, he blew a kiss toward Dwyane Wade, who joined the 2024 Olympics as a basketball commentator. Asked why he did that, the Houston Rockets swingman said Wade was his favorite player growing up.
"Dwyane has been my favorite player ever since I started playing basketball," Brooks told BasketNews. "I'm glad he was there. I just recognize who's around the floor."
Dillon idolizing Dwyane
Interestingly, Brooks was only seven years old when D-Wade entered the NBA. It isn't surprising if the Ontario native looked up to him after he picked up the sport. After all, the Miami Heat icon took the league by storm shortly after he was drafted No. 5 by the franchise in 2003. In just his third season, he developed into a bona fide superstar and won Finals MVP.
According to Brooks, he doesn't share a notable history with Wade, as he remembers facing the legend just once in his career. The 28-year-old veteran might need someone to jog his memory because he actually played two contests against his idol. Both were losses.
What's probably intriguing is that Brooks looked up to "Flash" and appears to esteem the Hall of Famer highly, but he has no problems disrespecting Wade's draft classmate LeBron James.
Brooks' heroics
It's worth noting, though, that Dillon's villain character is exactly that—a persona. He probably doesn't hate his opponents but is just looking to gain whatever advantage he can to bring in the wins.
It has worked so far, as Canada managed to defeat Greece in the squads' tournament opener despite 34 points from Antetokounmpo. The winning team saw impressive performances from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett, who scored a combined 44 points. It also had to withstand a furious rally from the Greeks, who were down by as many as 16 before narrowing the margin to 80-78 near the end of the fourth quarter.
Brooks tried to play as physically as possible, which might have contributed to him fouling out of the contest. Fellow starters Lu Dort and Dwight Powell also committed five fouls each.
Team Canada will need the former Memphis Grizzlies enforcer to step it up again in the following days, as matchups against Australia and Spain are coming. Maybe Dillon will continue to find inspiration with Wade watching.
