Jace Evans, USA TODAYSun, November 23, 2025 at 5:52 AM UTC·2 min readKlay Thompson did not hold back his thoughts about Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant following a heated postgame confrontation between the NBA stars.
"With Ja, he's a funny guy. 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," Thompson said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMorant, who did not play in the Grizzlies' 102-96 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, put his finger in Thompson's face after the final whistle. Thompson swatted at Morant's hand and the two had to be separated as they exchanged words.
Asked what Morant said, Thompson replied, "Nothing of intelligent depth."
"Just running his mouth. He's been running his mouth for a long time and it's funny to run your mouth when you're on the bench," Thompson said. "It's kind of the story of his career so far, just leaving us wanting more. You know, 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. We need that in the NBA, we need our best players to be out there.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"When you're a star it comes with a great responsibility. I hate to see that go to waste."
Tensions between Thompson and the Grizzlies started after Memphis forward Santi Aldama appeared to deliberately trip top pick Cooper Flagg while Aldama was on the ground. Thompson confronted Aldama about his actions.
The bad feelings appeared to spill into Thompson's run-in with Morant, who is currently out with an injury.
Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors' Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.
Oct. 26: The Washington Wizards' Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena.
Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.
Oct. 25: The Denver Nuggets' Christian Braun dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns' Grayson Allen at Ball Arena.
Oct. 24: The Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. dunks against the Miami Heat at FedExForum.
Oct. 24: The Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo dunks over the Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. at FedExForum.
Oct. 22: The New York Knicks' OG Anunoby goes up for a reverse dunk against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.
Oct. 22: The Utah Jazz's Lauri Markkanen dunks against the Los Angeles Clippers at Delta Center.1 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents
Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors' Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.1 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents
Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors' Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.2 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents
Oct. 26: The Washington Wizards' Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena.3 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents
Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.
4 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents
Oct. 25: The Denver Nuggets' Christian Braun dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns' Grayson Allen at Ball Arena.5 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents
Oct. 24: The Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. dunks against the Miami Heat at FedExForum.6 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents
Oct. 24: The Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo dunks over the Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. at FedExForum.7 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents
Oct. 22: The New York Knicks' OG Anunoby goes up for a reverse dunk against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.8 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents
Oct. 22: The Utah Jazz's Lauri Markkanen dunks against the Los Angeles Clippers at Delta Center.The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Klay Thompson rips Ja Morant after postgame confrontation
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