With less than 30 seconds to go in the game and the Dallas Mavericks trailing the Memphis Grizzlies, 99-96, Klay Thompson fired a 29-foot bomb from the logo – and missed.
This turned out to be the Mavericks’ last chance to save the game as the Grizzlies went on to make it a two-possession game en route to sealing the 102-96 victory. Dallas dropped to 5-13, while Memphis climbed up to 6-11
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It was another frustrating loss for the struggling Mavericks. And Ja Morant‘s extra words for Thompson – which threw shade at his once legendary, lights-out shooting after the game – did not make things any better.
However, Thompson was not just going to let it slide as he got real with the controversial star during his post-game media scrum.
Morant taunted Thompson about his shooting
Morant has been sidelined since last week due to a calf injury. But it did not stop him from standing up after the game and provoking Thompson. In a video, Ja was seen pointing at Klay, seemingly mouthing strong words that got KT all riled up.
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As the two got separated, the message of Memphis’ star point guard became clearer, with fans interpreting his words as, “You a bum” directed at Thompson.
Later during Cam Spencer’s post-game interview, Ja doubled down on his remark.
“Tell ’em who the best shooter in the house was,” Morant said, interrupting Spencer midway. “It wasn’t bro from Golden State.”
Indeed, Thompson has been struggling with his shooting this season. However, this game has been his best in the season so far. He finished with 22 points while shooting 6-of-12 from 3-point territory. Still, the fact remains: the Splash Bro still has not regained his touch, hitting 34.0 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from deep even after his solid outing.
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Thompson did not hold back
Although Thompson’s emotions got the best of him after the buzzer, the four-time champion let his maturity take over when he addressed his confrontation with Morant during his media appearance.
Asked about what Morant exactly told him, Thompson said that it was nothing of “intelligent depth.”
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“He’s a funny guy with no accountability. Just running his mouth,” KT said. “He’s been running his mouth for a long time and it’s funny to run your mouth when you’re on the bench. It’s kind of the story of his career so far, just leaving us wanting more.”
Despite the incident, the 35-year-old guard still gave some words of motivation to Morant, hoping the latter would eventually get back on the right path.
“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,” Thompson said. “When you’re a star, it comes with a great responsibility. I hate to see that go to waste.”
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Thompson is right about Ja. In recent years, the 26-year-old star has declined from being one of the next faces of the NBA to a controversial figure with an unhealthy fascination with guns. He also began the season with a one-game suspension following a disagreement with his head coach, Tuomas Iisalo.
The Mavericks look to bounce back in their next game against the Miami Heat, while the Grizzlies look to extend their winning streak against the Denver Nuggets.
Meanwhile, Morant will continue to recover from his injury. While doing so, he should consider reflecting on and heeding Thompson’s words of advice.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.