Brooks is a big reason the Rockets are soaring this season. NBAE/GettyImages Most basketball fans view Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks as a fiery, physical player who defends the other team tighter than Yao Ming in a medium tank top. But those in Brooks’ inner circle may know him as an all-star-caliber source for good restaurants in NBA cities. Looking for a tasty spot in Houston? Brooks has a place in mind. Heading to the nine-year veteran’s hometown of Toronto? No problem. Need to get full in Phoenix? Brooks probably went to a restaurant last season there you’ll love. But Rockets fans aren’t thinking about dinner plans right now; they’re so hungry for their first postseason appearance in five years they can’t think about much else. Brooks, who’s in the top five on the team this season in points, assists and minutes, is one of the central reasons that Houston is near the top of the Western Conference standings. In the following chat, Brooks digs into this season’s success, lessons learned from the Paris Olympics and the travel plans he has cooked up after the playoffs conclude. Brooks’ shot has steadily improved this year. NBAE/Getty Images Statistically, things have been going well for the Rockets. What is it going to take to meet Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals? Just perfecting our craft every single day, [starting with] our offense and our defense. Just chiseling up so we know exactly what product we’re bringing to the playoffs to match up with anyone in the Western Conference. I like us every night out with our defense and our physicality. We’re getting used to playing hard every single night. That’s what it takes in the playoffs. You really gut out wins and make runs. You bring an edge to the Rockets, but how would you fully define your role with the squad? Just being that defensive anchor, having the knowledge and giving that to [young teammates like] Jalen [Green], Jabari [Smith Jr.], Tari [Eason] and Amen [Thompson]. Our team is pretty deep with defenders, athletes and guys who can score. And then [you have] leaders like me, Fred [VanVleet], Jeff [Green] and Steven [Adams] helping those young guys out. But me, I’m just the enforcer. I’m the guy who guys can lean on to talk about defensive coverages and be that floor spacer. Yeah, I’m adding that to my game. Getting better at shooting the three ball. That’s my role. Team Canada is becoming a force on the global hoops scene. Canadian Basketball Team You were a part of Team Canada in the Paris Olympics. Fans have re-lived the Games through Netflix’s Court of Gold series. Tell me what kind of impact being there had on you as a person and a player. A great one — even though the [fifth-place] result, wasn’t what we wanted. Overall, it gave us, Canada, some confidence into going into the World Cup and qualifying for Los Angeles [Olympics in 2028]. Being in Paris and feeling that energy of the world was kind of mind boggling. Every game was intense and hard. Guys are playing for more than just a buck. You’re playing for your country, trying to do something different. Each country has its own walk into the Olympics with FIBA [International Basketball Federation] qualifiers and all that, but feeling that type of energy [was incredible]. It brought my family closer, as you can see in the Netflix doc. It was a special moment, being my first time as an Olympian. What makes Toronto special to you? I guess the culture. [The] many different ethnicities are all bottled up into one city. You can get different foods and different vibes. For me, growing up, I was always around that in middle school and high school. So, it’s just normal to me. Overall, just being tapped to different ethnicities, cultures, religions and stuff like that [make Toronto amazing]. That’s just getting deep into it. The food is amazing. The people are great. It’s like a mini New York. It’s a great place to be in the summer. You know, the winter is going to be cold and a lot of snow. Brooks is from the greater Toronto area. EyeEm Mobile GmbH Do you miss those intense winters? No, I don’t. Being in Houston is great. But we had snow [in Texas] this year. That was crazy to see. There are lots of tasty places around Houston. When you have a free night, do you have a couple of favorite restaurants around town? Well, I really haven’t [eaten out much]. I have a chef, so I’ll just be at home, watching my nutrition. I’ve haven’t been [out] too much at all, just been to The Galleria [shopping center] and a couple restaurants like Toca Madera and Nobu. If your family member or friend is coming in town, what are a few things that you would do around Houston? Oh, definitely got to come watch a [Rockets] game for sure. I would say we’d have to go to Little Hen for brunch. That spot is pretty cool. It’s a little photo op for the family. Good options as well. There’s another spot as well, if you like Spanish food, called MAD. If it’s a Friday, there a lot of people in there. But if you want to just chill and taste the food, go on a weekday. You seem to know your cuisine pretty well. I love different types of cuisine because I’ve been traveling a lot, so I’ve been trying a lot. Outside of obvious places like New York, L.A. and Chicago, give me an NBA city that I might be surprised to hear has pretty good food. I don’t know if you’d be surprised, but Phoenix. I love Phoenix. They got a couple spots there that I like, food-wise, in Scottsdale. Maple & Ash is one. If you’re going on a road trip to Phoenix, L.A. or wherever, what are a few things that you always pack with you? Shades. I gotta have a portable charger, too, because my phone will be dying all the time. I always need two or three different colognes. The Rockets star can’t wait to get back to Dubai this summer. collab_media I know you’re hoping the Rockets’ season goes into June, but do you have any travel plans for the offseason already made? We’re definitely thinking of going to Dubai for sure. I went last summer, and it was mind boggling a little bit. What did you like about it? It was futuristic. All the restaurants were good. Easy to get around the downtown. And super safe. Any new spot that you might want to hit this year? I kind of want to get into the Pacific Ocean. Two years ago, I went to Indonesia. [I want to visit] Singapore or something like that. 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