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Brook Lopez was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week hours before tip-off for Nets-Blazers at the Barclays Center. Brook is the first player in Nets franchise history and the first in the NBA this season to win consecutive Player of the Week awards.
His jokester brother Robin Lopez of the Portland Trail Blazers was none too impressed.
"It's amazing how far you can go with a crappy center," Robin joked Monday night. "But I guess he fooled the NBA for a couple weeks, at least."
Well he must be a pretty good prankster if he ‘fooled' the NBA. The Nets' big fella is the conference's leading scorer over the last week, averaging 24.8 points on 58.5% shooting. Behind him rank DeMar DeRozan (24.6 points), and Kyrie Irving (23.4 points).
The joking twin brother continued.
"There are a lot of thick-headed people in this world," Lopez said. "They don't obviously see the diamonds in the rough in front of them." Who? The Nets? Lionel Hollins? Please elaborate, Robin! However, reporters talking with Lopez said it wasn't taken in the sense of a jab to the Nets front office. Just good ol' fashioned fun.
Fun. Something the two have had a lot this NBA season, with Robin's team holding a 50-26 record and Brook emerging as the Nets' leader during this late playoff race. They've also had a different kind of fun this year, especially with the mascots around the NBA.
Robin Lopez has stirred some trouble with mascots around the NBA, talkin' smack and causing beef among the league's costumed entertainers. Robin has beat up on most of them, but in Brooklyn he'll have nobody to mess with since the BrooklyKnight's mysterious departure prior to the season.
"I think he saw what was coming. I'm sure he saw me in his nightmares," Robin said.
Tensions raised between the twin brothers when Brook took a happy picture with the Cavaliers mascot the Moondog, who gave Brook popcorn as part of his thank you gift. Robin didn't like it. Nor did he like the popcorn. "It was a little tough to swallow," Robin said. "I'm sure it wasn't as bitter as the popcorn, but it was bitter."
The brothers have faced off eight times in their seven seasons in the league. Robin has won five of the eight, but Brook has individually dominated the matchups, averaging 19 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.