The NBA champion and current Los Angeles Clippers center has had to change his game over the course of his 19-year NBA career. He is a one-time All-Star with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 and has made the All-Defensive Team twice with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020 and 2023.
During his time with the Bucks, Lopez was considered the defensive anchor of that team along with former Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo. After a game in 2022, former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer spoke about Lopez’s ability to energize their team.
“For Brook to come out, it just kind of energized the whole team. It gave us a huge boost,” Mike Budenholzer said after the game. “Giannis and Jrue knew they had another guy who was going to, you know, help carry the load.”
“When Brook is making threes and blocking shots, you know, the team loves him,” coach Bud added. “It’s just a little even extra value added besides just the obvious points.”
Following a game in January 2023, Michael Scotto of The Hoop Hype asked both Giannis and Jrue Holiday about what Brook Lopez has meant to the Bucks.’
“It's a big part of who we are, a big part of why this team is so great, defensively, and offensively. He's playing at a very high level right now, and he's literally covering our butts on defense of every single possession,” said Antetokounmpo.
“He's having a great season, and we need him to be great offensively; we need him to be even greater defensively. In my opinion, he's probably the Defensive Player of the Year — no doubt. And he's what, 34, 35 years old? It's insane how he's playing right now, and we've still got 40, 20, 60 more games to play this way.”
Holiday agreed 100 percent.
Speaking of Lopez, he was in a recent interview at the NBA and FIBA’s Basketball Without Borders Next Up 2026 event at the Basketball Development Centre in Istanbul, Turkey. He talked about adapting over the course of his career, according to Do Deka Basket.
Earlier this year, Lopez spoke with Marc Spears of Andscape.com about wanting to play 20 years in the league as Kobe Bryant did for the Lakers.
"I always had a number of 20 years. A lot of great players played 20 years [whom] I looked up to. Timmy [Duncan], Kobe [Bryant]. I think Ticket [Kevin Garnett] got there. That's always been a goal of mine, but I feel great. So now that we're as far along as we are, I don't really want to put a cap on it. Just see how long we can keep going until we fall," Lopez said to Spears.
"I'm in my 19th year; I've been playing for a very long time. I'm constantly learning new things, constantly listening, trying to soak up new things like a sponge, so to speak. The young guys in this camp, even though they're young, probably feel experienced because they've been playing this game their whole lives. Always be willing to listen. Give new things a chance. You never know how it might change your life or your game."
