Dillon Brooks ejected minutes into Rockets debut

The referees gave Brooks a flagrant two foul and ejected him from the game for hitting Daniel Theis below the belt. It's very similar to a play that also led to an early ejection, when Brooks was tossed from Game 3 of the Memphis Grizzlies series with the Los Angeles Lakers for hitting LeBron James below the belt.

That play, along with Brooks trash talking James to the press while letting him score crucial buckets on him in the games, helped lead to the Grizzlies' declaration that they wouldn't bring him back "under any circumstances." They may have gotten sick of Brooks getting ejected and suspended, as he did multiple times last season on his way to 18 technical fouls.

After the game, Brooks complained that he was only ejected due to his "reputation," referring to himself as "Dillon the Villain."

First, no one calls him Dillon the Villain. Second, while Brooks claims the referee was going by "what's been said," what he saw was an obvious punch to the groin. Just like Brooks did to James in the playoffs. Does he know these games are televised?

Brooks also hit Donovan Mitchell in the groin last season, which got him ejected and suspended.

Brooks likes to think he has a reputation as a villain, but he really has a reputation as a guy who punches other players below the belt. A lot! He's not Dillon the Villain. He's Dillon the Groin-Puncher! He's certainly not Dillon the Victim.

The Rockets gave Brooks a fully-guaranteed contract for four years and $86 million this summer. It took Brooks less than five minutes to make them start questioning the wisdom of that decision.