Dillon Brooks has a message for Team USA ahead of the Olympics: 'Canada will be ready to play'

LAS VEGAS — Dillon Brooks, never afraid to challenge a superstar or utter a catchphrase, has a message for LeBron James, Stephen Curry and the rest of the Americans ahead of Wednesday’s Olympic exhibition game between Team USA and Team Canada.

The Canadians are coming – again.

“I look at it as just a game, but being me, I like to send a message,” Brooks, the Houston Rockets guard whose Canadian team won its first medal in program history (a bronze) last September against the Americans at the FIBA World Cup, told reporters Monday night. “So I’ll be ready to play. The Canadian team will be ready to play, and we’ll give it our all and watch the film afterward and see if we’ve improved.”

As if this budding international rivalry wasn’t already interesting enough, Brooks’ involvement takes it to another level due to his long and sordid history with Team USA’s two biggest stars. Back when he was playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, Brooks’ battles against Curry’s Golden State Warriors were tense at every turn. The same goes for his time against James’ Los Angeles Lakers, both with the Grizzlies and Rockets, as he went up against the game’s greatest player in a way that no other player can claim.

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Brooks says his well-known competitive spirit will reach a new height with the involvement of the two best American players. After all, no one can blame him for believing the Canadians played a vital role in upgrading the U.S. roster for this Olympic challenge.

Just a day after the Canadians beat the Americans in the bronze medal game, when Brooks scored 39 points and the favored Americans had to go home without a medal stand, The Athletic James was reportedly not only ready to commit to Team USA, but he was also leading the recruiting efforts for other top talent. Curry was at the top of the list. So Brooks was asked: Is it possible he’s even more motivated than ever because of the unique dynamics at play?

“Yeah, because there are some new American players who came out after (the bronze medal game) and wanted to play,” he said. “So I’m glad they’re playing because we can test our skills against theirs. And it should be fun.”

Who are you thinking of?

“At first it was Steph and LeBron who stepped up and said something and then everybody started joining in,” Brooks continued. “I’m glad they made that commitment, so we’ll see. Talent versus talent.”

“They’ve got to defend. They’ve got to play defense. That’s the biggest thing for me. Every team that plays us has to defend, has to scout us. And we’re just going to play our game and make adjustments throughout the game.”

While Team USA is undoubtedly the Olympic favourite, the Canadians have no shortage of top-tier talent. From Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (who finished second in MVP voting last season) to Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray to the Thunder’s Lu Dort, Canada’s squad is not only formidable, it’s fundamental. With Brooklyn Nets coach Jordi Fernandez at the helm, they’ve recently achieved a level of consistency in their lineup that generally bodes well on the international stage. And the Americans, as Brooks made clear, are the biggest threat to the team’s goals going forward.

“We always believed in each other, we just had to get it together,” Brooks said. “We have a lot of players now that are committed, ready to build on that every summer to get better and better, to build chemistry and camaraderie.

“We did it last year. And now it’s our turn this year. But instead of bronze, we want gold.”

Required Reading

(Photo: Jam Sta Rosa / AFP via Getty Images)