“Not unless they want war”: How Dillon Brooks is bringing some edge to Canadian basketball

Dillon Brooks is the NBA’s most notorious villain. Across nine seasons, the 30-year-old from Mississauga has earned a reputation for being a hard-nosed, competitive, trash-talking irritant with a knack for driving opponents mad. “Isn’t he Canadian?” one might ask. “Aren’t they supposed to be nice?” But Dillon maintains that it’s precisely his Canadian upbringing that gave him the chip on his shoulder.

Now, Brooks and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are co-captains for the Canadian men’s basketball team. And they’re about to play two qualification games at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum for the 2027 FIBA World Cup: one match today versus Puerto Rico and another on July 6 against Jamaica. We caught up with Brooks to talk about how he’s prepping for the mini tournament and what he’s up to in Toronto on his off days.

During the 2025 off-season, you were traded to the Phoenix Suns. Now you’re coming off the best season of your career, averaging more than 20 points a game. What was it about the change of scenery that helped? The red rocks. Every time I drive to the gym, I always see red camelback mountains. It’s a peaceful, tranquil, euphoric feeling. And I always wanted to play for a team like the Suns: in a nice city with amazing teammates—great guys that are professional and willing to learn. No attitude, no egos. The coaching staff and the front office also welcomed me with open arms. They respect my game. They trust me on the floor to make plays and to hold guys accountable.

You’ve earned a reputation as the NBA’s top villain. You stare down and trash talk opposing players and mascots. You’ve started brawls. You shoved a cameraman, which led to a fine. And you infamously called LeBron James “old,” to name a few examples. Where does that persona come from?  That’s been in my blood for a while, ever since I was young. I just never had the media covering me growing up to put my name on it. I try to prove everybody wrong every time I step on that floor. And I’m a little outspoken, so I can go pretty far with it.

It feels like you’ve now mastered the art of toeing the line without getting fined or suspended. How did you get there? I developed a process to be comfortable with it. I had to prove to myself, and to my family and friends, that I was good enough as a basketball player first. Sometimes my toe goes over that line, but I think my teammates are okay with that. For me, getting under people’s skin is calculated. When you’re the villain, you know you’re in for a good game.

Often when Canadian players are coming up, they get passed over in favour of American players. Is that also why you have a chip on your shoulder? Yeah, Canadians have a lot of things to prove every single time they step on the floor, whether it’s in the NBA or overseas. But my generation of players has shown a lot of growth, which also makes us better as individuals.

Do other Canadian players need to follow your example and be a bit less kind to succeed?  Not unless they want war. No, in all seriousness, I think kindness is a good trait for the real world. In a game, in a competition, I understand why you’ve got to throw that away. But people immigrate to our country for a reason: they love the people. Canadians—we’re open to everybody coming here to start a new life. We pride ourselves on that. Everyone on Team Canada is from somewhere different, ethnically or culturally. We’re all happy to be Canadian, we just put our own spin on what it is to be Canadian.

You’re 30 years old now and have lived in the States for more than a decade. Do you feel more national pride as you age?  Yeah. I’ve always been like this, though. I’m a true Canadian. I’m a third-generation Maritimer. My mom is from New Brunswick. My dad is from Nova Scotia. So I really breathe and believe in this Canadian stuff, and I always wanted to play for my country.

Would you rather win an NBA championship or win gold with Canada? Win gold with Canada. A championship means a lot—it takes a lot to get there. But they hand out the NBA championship every year. To win an Olympic gold medal, you have to wait four years. And in those four years, you have to be consistent in thinking about winning that gold medal, the process, all these things. I think I’d feel more euphoric winning gold. It’s winning for a whole country instead of just a city.

How’s your summer going? I love Toronto in the summer. The weather is real cool. You don’t get the crazy heat like Phoenix, but you get enough to where you’re still warm. When I’m back in Toronto, I train rigorously in the mornings. That way I have the afternoons to myself. I visit a lot of restaurants. Some of my go-tos are Amal, Akira Back, Milos and Mamakas. I also hang out with my family. My dad has a boat, and sometimes I’ll rent a yacht with my friends and just sit on the water. I’ve done a little bit of fishing, but not in Lake Ontario. I also get in the studio with my younger brother, Jax, and my boys to hang out and make music. Sometimes I go into the booth and rap, but it never comes out great. One day I might drop a song or a mixtape, though. Stay tuned.

What do you think about the Raptors trading for Kawhi Leonard again?  I like it for Toronto. It gives them another scoring piece to add to all the success they had this past season. Kawhi is a champion, a veteran, and he’s familiar. So it’s good for the city to bring back somebody we all know.

I heard a funny story recently. Canada Basketball was asking players for a three-year commitment leading up to the 2028 Olympics. The deadline was approaching, and they still hadn’t heard from you, so they sent you a text message asking for your decision. You said something like, “Why are you asking me stupid questions?” Please explain. The challenge remains from getting knocked out of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Losing to France, finishing in fifth place, that wasn’t good enough. I’ve been thinking about that ever since. Whether it’s this four-year cycle or eight years or however long I’m playing, I want to keep doing this for my country because I know guys like Shai and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will play, and together we’ll build the culture, where more of our top players are showing up each year. It’s a big opportunity for me to show my commitment. I’m here. I’m ready to play. And ultimately, it’s helping with my reps, helping make my game better and keep me in shape.

Sports fandom in Canada is changing with the demographics of the country. Hockey participation is falling off a cliff while soccer and basketball are on the rise. Will basketball be Canada’s next national sport?  Basketball is going to be the future sport because it’s easy and accessible to get into. Also, the Canadian stars are relatable. It’s just so prominent now with the Raptors growing, the NBA growing worldwide and Canada Basketball being on the climb. I don’t think it’s going to ever go down.

Team Canada is playing two FIBA World Cup qualification games in Hamilton. Why should fans come out? We’re fun to watch. We’re on a mission to prove that we’re the best country in the world at basketball, and we need the support throughout our journey to the 2028 Olympics. Our team has guys that don’t have to come out and play—superstars, people at the very top of their craft. Why wouldn’t you want to come see that?

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.