Klay Thompson blasts Ja Morant, invokes Gary Payton II 2022 playoffs injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Dallas Mavericks might have lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, but in the case of Klay Thompson vs. Ja Morant, the four-time NBA champion got the last laugh.
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First, Thompson actually played in Memphis’ 102-96 win over Dallas at American Airlines Center — and played well, scoring a team-high 22 points.
However, after the final buzzer, Thompson and Morant were seen jawing at each other under the basket before they had to be separated.
It’s unclear exactly what was said, but some online might have deciphered Morant’s message to Thompson.
Thompson, speaking to reporters after the game, was asked what Morant, out with a right calf strain, told him. (h/t ClutchPoints’ Joey Mistretta)
“Nothing of intelligent depth,” Thompson said. “It was really just him running his mouth and he’s been running his mouth for a long time. It’s funny to run your mouth when you’re on the bench. Kind of the story of his career so far, just leaving us wanting more. We all want to see him out there and do his best, but he’s just been letting a lot of other stuff get in the way of that.
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“We need that in the NBA, we need our best players out there, and when you’re a star it comes with a great responsibility and I hate to see that go to waste.”
Thompson has a point, as evidenced by this wild stat:
The 35-year-old Thompson has played in 269 games since making his return to the court on Jan. 9, 2022, while the 26-year-old Morant has played in 139 games.
Memphis’ star guard has missed a lot of time, for a variety of reasons. But we don’t have time to get into all of that.
Morant’s trash talk didn’t stop after his on-court incident with Thompson, and the Grizzlies star had one final message when he crashed teammate Cam Spencer’s postgame interview.
“Tell ’em who the best shooter in the house was, it wasn’t bro from Golden State,” Morant said in the background, referencing Thompson.
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Spencer scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Thompson scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field and 6 of 12 from 3-point range.
But who’s counting?
Well, Morant is.
The incident between Thompson and Morant appeared to spark after Thompson expressed his frustration with Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama, who appeared to grab Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s lower left leg on a play under the basket.
That play, or the dirty nature of it, reminded Thompson of a play involving former teammate Gary Payton II in the Western Conference semifinals series between the Warriors and Grizzlies in 2022. (h/t ClutchPoints’ Joey Mistretta)
“Well, with the tall guy, that’s just not cool,” Thompson said of Aldama’s grab of Flagg. “I’ve seen them do dirty stuff before. I remember in the playoffs 2022, they broke my teammate’s elbow, a dirty hit. That made me think of that. I don’t like seeing that done to a rookie, that’s not cool. I’ll compete with you all day on the basketball court, but don’t be dirty. That’s not it.”
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Thompson then re-focused his comments back on Morant.
“And then with Ja, he’s a funny guy,” Thompson added. “He has a lot to say all the time, especially for a guy who rarely takes accountability. But you know what, that’s for another day.”
Mic drop.
