Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks spent the past five seasons together as teammates with the Memphis Grizzlies, but they will be on opposite sides in Sunday's 2023 FIBA World Cup bronze-medal game between the United States and Canada.
Speaking to reporters about the upcoming matchup, Jackson said he's hoping Brooks uses the same approach in the World Cup that he has during NBA games.
"I hope Dillon does talk trash," Jackson said. "Otherwise it wouldn't be him. It wouldn't be real."
For better and worse, Brooks likes to poke the bear when he's on the court. He called LeBron James old after the Grizzlies' victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of their Western Conference playoff series in April.
It was a bold strategy to go after the best player of this generation, and it wound up backfiring on Brooks. The Lakers won the series in six games. James averaged 21.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the four games after Brooks' comment.
Brooks hasn't backed down from who he is in the World Cup. The 27-year-old was ejected from Canada's quarterfinal victory over Slovenia in the fourth quarter for taunting.
Saturday will mark the first time Jackson and Brooks are on opposite sides of each other. They were teammates in Memphis ever since Jackson was drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in 2018.
Brooks left the Grizzlies over the summer when he signed a four-year, $86 million deal with the Houston Rockets in free agency.
This will be the 22nd all-time meeting between the United States and Canada. Team USA has a 20-1 record in the previous 21 games, with Canada's lone victory coming in the 2005 FIBA AmeriCup.
Canada is seeking its first-ever medal in the FIBA World Cup. The United States is looking to medal after finishing seventh in the 2019 tournament.
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