Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant had a lot to say after his team beat the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. After the competition — a Grizzlies win 102-96 — Morant, out with a calf injury, faced Mavericks forward Klay Thompson on the court.
THE two words exchangedwith teammates and coaches stepping in to keep things from getting physical. Morant continued even after Thompson left the field. Morant interrupted a postgame interview with Cam Spencer by saying, “Tell them who the best shooter in the house he was, he wasn’t a Golden State bro.”
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Spencer dropped 17 points in the win and went 3-for-5 on three-pointers. Thompson led the Mavericks with 22 points, going 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.
After the contest, Thompson was asked about the on-court confrontation with Morant. The former Warriors star didn’t mince his words.
Thompson, 35, began his comments by saying: “(Morant is) a funny guy. He has a lot to say all the time, especially for a guy who rarely takes responsibility“, according to ESPN.
Thompson then criticized Morant for speaking from the bench and not tapping into his immense potential.
“It was just talking, and he’s been doing it for a long time,” Thompson said. “It’s funny to talk when you’re on the bench. It’s kind of the story of his career so far, leaving us wanting more.
“We all want to see him out there and do his best, but he just let a lot of other things get in the way of that. We need that in the NBA. We need our best players out there, and when you’re a star, that comes with a lot of responsibility. I hate to see that go to waste.”
Morant, 26, showed his superstar potential on the pitch, but several off-field incidents led to a lack of time for the goalkeeper. Morant was suspended for eight matches in 2023 after reportedly brandishing a gun during an Instagram live video while at a club. This video emerged shortly after Morant was accused of assaulting and threatening a teenager with a gun during a previous offseason.
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Later that year, Morant was suspended for 25 games to start the 2023-24 NBA season after show yet another weapon in a video on social networks. Morant returned from that suspension, but quickly got injured, playing in only nine games that season.
Earlier this year, Morant was suspended by the Grizzlies for one game after I argued with head coach Tuomas Iisalo after a defeat.
Morant returned after that suspension, but played in only one of the team’s final five games due to injury.
Thompson didn’t explicitly point out these issues, but he was undoubtedly referring to them when he called Morant after Saturday’s game.
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It’s unclear why there is tension between Morant and Thompson, but the feud could date back to the 2022 NBA playoffs, when Thompson and the Golden State Warriors knocked out Morant and the Grizzlies. Thompson averaged 18.5 points in this series, including 30 points in the Warriors’ Game 6 victory.
After Saturday’s loss, the Mavericks fell to 5-13 on the season. The Grizzlies aren’t far behind in the standings and are 6-11 after the win.
