How NBA stars such as Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks take player-referee relationships to new levels - ESPN

DILLON BROOKS STEPPED onto the Crypto.com Arena court Saturday evening before any of the other Memphis Grizzlies starters for Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Brooks walked across the floor, straight down the half-court line and directly toward referee crew chief Marc Davis.

Brooks looked Davis in the eye and extended his right hand. After a firm handshake, Brooks calmly uttered a few words to Davis before asking for the ball, which he fired down the sideline to teammate Jaren Jackson Jr., part of their usual routine before the opening tip.

«Sometimes before the games, I try to put stuff in [the referee's] mind,» Brooks told ESPN late in the regular season. «Like, 'I'm going to play physical a little bit.'

»Some of them, I won't even say nothing. Because sometimes I think [a referee believes], 'Oh, OK, I can give him a little call here. He won't get mad.' It's all a game. The same way you study the other team, you got to know your refs."

Brooks, who on Sunday joined Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden in the group of players called for a flagrant foul 2 and ejection during the first week of the 2023 playoffs, is one of many NBA players who could be considered difficult to officiate.

Brooks is among the players whose playing style or personality — or a combination of both — make establishing a rapport with referees a priority. Other high-profile players opt to keep their discussions with the officials to a minimum, as to not be perceived as disingenuous. The thought process, in general, is that laying a foundation of mutual respect might help a player's cause when he's complaining and lobbying for calls (or no-calls) in the heat of the moment.

«There's always a set