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Dillon Brooks of the Phoenix Suns.
Tony Brothers has been the reason behind two of the biggest officiating controversies that have happened in the 2026 playoffs. Dillon Brooks, Phoenix Suns forward, of all players, went on Twitch to defend him.
In a clip shared by ClutchPoints via the Ray/Twitch stream, Brooks opened up on Brothers and the broader state of NBA officiating. This is a subject Brooks knows personally, having racked up 18 technical fouls this past regular season alone.
Brothers has been the most talked-about official in the 2026 playoffs. He made headlines when he had to be physically restrained by Minnesota Timberwolves players and staff during Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals, after a heated timeout dispute with Wolves coach Chris Finch.
Besides that, Brothers was the lead official for the highly debatable Cavaliers-Pistons Game 5, where not calling a foul on Jarrett Allen in the last seconds of the regulation time led the game into overtime. Eventually, Cleveland won 117-113 and got a 3-2 series lead.
GettyDillon Brooks Sends Blunt Message Amid Growing NBA Referee Drama
Against that backdrop, Brooks had a specific take. He sees Brothers differently than most.
“Tony Brothers, my guy. People don’t want to f*ck with him too much right now because he went off on the coach and shit. But that, honestly, if you’re in the NBA, you know that about Tony.”
What Brooks respects about Brothers is exactly what makes him polarizing to everyone else. He talks back, he holds his ground, and he does not cave to pressure on the court.
“There are a lot of young guys in the NBA right now that are reffing. That I personally don’t think are good. Because they’re making like calls off of like emotion. He’s no bullshit. Like he doesn’t play that.”
Dillon Brooks sharing his thoughts on NBA referee Tony Brothers 🗣️
“That’s my guy. But people are not f*cking with him too much right now because he went off on the coach. I like him because he keeps the NBA… There are a lot of young guys in the NBA right now that are
Brooks supported his point by mentioning Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, referring to the viral footage of SGA flopping to get foul calls. This debate has been very loud all postseason, with fans and players discussing if referees are giving credit to acting instead of real fouls.
Brooks believes that inexperienced referees get influenced by the movement and end up calling what appears to be a foul, on the other hand, a veteran like Brothers relies on what he actually sees.
GettyDillon Brooks Defends NBA Ref Tony Brothers Amid Growing Backlash
None of this is coming from a place of neutrality. Brooks is one of the most technically-fouled players in the league and has openly clashed with officials all season, saying refs hold a “stigma” against him that shapes how they call his games.
Earlier this season, Brooks was the first player since DeMarcus Cousins in 2017 to reach his 16th technical foul before the All-Star break, triggering an automatic suspension. He finished the regular season with 18. His frustration with officiating has been documented throughout the year, and it has not been limited to just him: Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Devin Booker have both publicly voiced similar frustrations about consistency at the officiating level this year.
In fact, that background makes his defense of Brothers quite a statement. Brooks is far from a person who readily applauds refs. Therefore, when he claims that Brothers is the one who maintains fairness in the game, it’s a pretty strong statement coming from a player who has been fighting with referees most of this season.
Since the playoffs have already reached the second round and refs are being criticized more than they have ever been before, Brooks’s viewpoint is definitely going to be a topic of discussion.
Jayesh Pagar Jayesh Pagar is a writer at Heavy Sports, covering the New York Knicks and other NBA teams. He brings four years of experience across digital sports media, including NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football. He covered as the Knicks beat writer for ONSI and has written for PFSN, Sporting News, and ClutchPoints. More about Jayesh Pagar
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