The Memphis Grizzlies’ 102-96 win over the Dallas Mavericks left more sparks off the court than on it. At the center of the storm are still the same two: Klay Thompson and Ja Morant, whose strained relationship reignites every time their paths cross.

Morant, sidelined for a calf injury and missing his third consecutive game, didn’t just watch from the bench. Right after the final buzzer, he confronted Thompson verbally, adding another chapter to a rivalry that dates back to the 2022 playoffs, when the then-Warriors guard was a thorn in young Memphis’ side.

Morant taunts, Thompson reacts: sparks after the buzzer

The exchange between the two flared immediately, forcing staff members and coaches to step in. Minutes later, during the team TV interview, Morant – who had been throwing jabs all game despite being out – added one more sharp remark after the final buzzer:

Tell him who was the best shooter on the floor… it wasn’t the Golden State guy

Ja Morant, to Spencer

A direct reference to Thompson’s missed three-pointer with 20 seconds left.

Thompson’s response: full frontal attack on Morant

Postgame, Thompson held nothing back. Lightened in form but heavy in substance, his comments were brutal:

He’s a funny guy, someone who never takes responsibility. He just keeps talking. He’s been doing it forever

Klay Thompson

And then the most cutting remark:

It’s funny hearing him talk from the bench. It’s kind of the story of his career: lots of words, few appearances

Klay Thompson

A statement that strikes at Morant’s recent narrative, affected by suspensions, injuries, and some of his lowest shooting percentages in years.

Thompson elaborated further in the interview:

We need our best players on the floor, not in the stands. When you’re a star, you have responsibilities. It’s a shame to see all that talent wasted on other distractions

Klay Thompson

Tension already high during the game

The nerves weren’t limited to the end. Thompson had earlier clashed with Santi Aldama over a hard foul on Cooper Flagg, later called flagrant 1. Shortly after, technical fouls were exchanged between Thompson and Vince Williams Jr., with words that were far from friendly.

For Klay, certain moments bring back “old times,” far from happy ones:

Some plays remind me of 2022… when certain things cost Payton a broken arm. It wasn’t good then, it’s not good now

Klay Thompson

Thompson digs deeper: respect for the past, not for today’s Memphis

On his thoughts about the current Grizzlies, Thompson was blunt:

I respect the Memphis of the past, the Randolph and Gasol teams. They spoke little and played a lot. This team, on the other hand, talks all the time

Klay Thompson

In the end, more than a simple altercation, this appears to be yet another chapter in a rivalry destined to continue. Thompson and Morant represent two different approaches to NBA competitiveness: experience versus impulse, discipline versus instinct.