"You can't sit in my table!" - Lip reader decodes Klay Thompson's trash-talk toward Heat bench

From defending his girlfriend, Megan Thee Stallion, after former NBA players Jason Williams and Patrick Beverly blamed her for his shooting struggles, to the recent confrontation with injured Ja Morant, Klay Thompson has been in the headlines for everything but his on-court brilliance.

That trend continued this week during the Dallas Mavericks' 106-102 loss to the Miami Heat, when Thompson was seen chirping with Heat players on the bench.

Rookie hasn't earned the right to talk trash

Thompson has been in a particularly dour mood lately and rightfully so. The Mavericks, the team he spurned the Golden State Warriors for, have been terrible so far and are near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. He hasn't been helpful to the cause, either, posting career-low numbers across the board, averaging 10.3 points on a hideous 35.1 percent from the field.

All that came to a boiling point in the game against the Heat when he heard Myron Gardner, a 6'5" rookie forward who has played a total of three games in the NBA, criticize him for his play this season. After being repeatedly called a "bum" and "trash," the 35-year-old heard enough and confronted the young man from Detroit, Michigan.

"Who the f—k are you? I ain't gonna find out. Talking all that s—t. Who the f—k is you? Who the f—k is you, dude?" Thompson bellowed in front of the Heat bench.

He, though, was hardly finished with Myron, reminding him of his stature in the NBA.

"You can't sit in my table, bro!" Klay remarked.

"There's only a few who can and they're up there," he continued, pointing to the jerseys the Heat have retired, which include Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning.

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A player who plays with pride

Thompson is in the twilight of his career. Although his struggles can be attributed to the Mavericks' lack of an experienced floor general who can get him the ball at his preferred spots on the floor, Father Time has undoubtedly caught up with the once-prolific shooter.

Despite his subpar numbers, Thompson remains a player who takes great pride in his game and the legacy he has built, especially after enduring a torn ACL and then a ruptured Achilles in consecutive seasons that forced him to sit out two straight seasons. A five-time All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA Team, a one-time All-Defensive Team member, and, most importantly, a four-time champion with the Warriors, Thompson's resume speaks for itself.

So, it was totally unsurprising to see him get heated with someone who had yet to carve out a spot in the Heat's rotation, questioning his capabilities.

Fortunately for Gardner, he had people around him to guide him on his NBA journey. After seeing the heated conversation Thompson had with Gardner, Heat assistant and former NBA All-Star Caron Butler took it upon himself to bring the rookie to Thompson after the game to apologize. And from the look of their brief talk, it seemed like the veteran wingman accepted the newcomer's apology and moved on from the incident.

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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.