Charles Barkley says he has ‘no problem’ with Dillon Brooks calling LeBron James ‘OLD’

Dillon Brooks took aim at LeBron James after the Grizzlies’ win on Wednesday – and NBA legend Charles Barkley said he had ‘no problem’ with the strong words.

After Memphis won a vital Game 2 to tie up their series with the Lakers at 1-1, Brooks was asked about his staring down of the Lakers star after draining a three-pointer in the fourth quarter.

‘I don’t care,’ Brooks said of the exchange. ‘He’s old. … I poke bears. I don’t respect no one ’til they come and give me 40.’

And while some fans may expect a legendary response from James in Game 3, Barkley defended the fiery Brooks and praised Memphis for their effort in the 103-93 win. 

‘I don’t have no problem with that,’ the Hall of Famer said on TNT’s Inside the NBA.

And Charles Barkley wasn’t bothered by the player’s remarks for the LA Lakers star

‘Listen man, Memphis made me proud tonight, they went out there undermanned, they competed. As a player and a coach, all you can do is ask your players to, hey, just compete. And they did that.

After losing in Game 1 to an impressive Lakers squad, the task of staying afloat in the series became even tougher for the Grizzlies when leading scorer Ja Morant was ruled out for Game 2 with a soft tissue bruise on his hand.

Big men Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams are also out for the playoffs. 

Brooks scored 12 points to James’ 28 but the Memphis swingman helped his team tie the series

But the Grizzlies dug in and won the game after jumping out to an 11-point lead by the end of the first quarter, with Xavier Tillman’s career-high 22 points leading the way for the hosts.

Barkley criticized the Lakers, who will host Games 3 and 4, of having ‘no energy’ and admitted being surprised by the Memphis win. 

‘We all thought they were gonna lose tonight,’ he said.

Brooks scored 12 points in the win, while James’ team-leading 28 points (plus 12 rebounds) were not enough for LA. 

Game 3 will be on Saturday night.