The game started with palpable tension due to a heated exchange between LeBron James and Dillon Brooks early in the proceedings.

Canada had an 8-1 advantage over Team USA halfway through the first quarter. The Americans committed a turnover and James had the ball when he bumped into Brooks, who was trying to recover the ball.

“The King” pushed off the Houston Rockets swingman, who was unfazed and had a troll look on his face. He bumped the LA Lakers superstars once again, who gave him another push off the side.

LeBron James and Team USA were down early and were outscored by Canada 21-14 in the first quarter. However, the Americans bounced

back to take the lead in the second quarter. They were up 41-33 at the end of the first half.

LeBron James and Dillon Brooks had beef during the 2023 NBA playoffs

LeBron James and Dillon Brooks had a little bit of history stemming back from the 2023 NBA playoffs. Brooks was still with the Memphis Grizzlies then when he decided to “poke the bear.”

This is what Brooks famously said after Game 2 of their first-round

series when James called him “dumb” after picking up his fourth personal foul:

“I don’t care, he’s old. You know what I mean? I was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears.”

At the end of that series, Brooks might have poked the bear too much as the LA Lakers upset the No. 2 seed Grizzlies in six games. The Lakers blew the Grizzlies in Game 6 by 40 points.