PHOENIX — The 2025-26 Phoenix Suns have established an early identity — physical, gritty, in-your-face defense, led by newly-acquired wing Dillon Brooks, who is known for his villainy.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!That new identity often bleeds (no pun intended) into practices, and Brooks was on the receiving end of an elbow and split open his eyebrow.
May 4, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) reacts after a play during the fourth quarter of game seven of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
During head coach Jordan Ott’s media scrum on Friday, Brooks walked past and shouted, “Hey, Coach, tell them how hard our practice is. I got a split in my head. Tell them how hard we play defense.”
Fans saw the aftermath in an X (Twitter) post of Brooks revealing who the long-pondered “Villian Jr.” is on the Suns team, which turned out to be backup point guard Collin Gillespie.
Suns coach reacts to Brooks’ bloodshed
Ott quickly reacted to Brooks’ comments, saying, “Definitely might get a couple of stitches there.
“He got hit on an elbow. Freak play. They were in the middle, I guess, the last part of practice, he just got split open, I think, right along the eyebrow. I’m sure he’ll play that one up, how many stitches he has. We’ll all hear how many stitches it gets.”
Gillespie, also on Friday, went on about how good of a teammate Brooks has been throughout the preseason, sharing a common sentiment of prior fans and teammates — you hate him when he’s not on your team, but you love him when he is.
Oct 3, 2025; Palm Desert, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) drives past Los Angeles Lakers guard R.J. Davis (55) during the second half at Acrisure Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
“He’s nuts,” Gillespie said. “He’s a guy that you hate to play against and love when he’s on your team. If you don’t know him, you probably think that he’s crazy, but he’s super chill off the court, and then once he’s between the lines, it’s like, he has that ‘villain’ he’s got going, and it’s like a switch inside his head. He’s a different person.”
Brooks and Gillespie ignite the villainy on Wednesday, Oct. 22, when Phoenix hosts the Sacramento Kings to open the season.
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