After Saturday's clash between Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies, he got involved in a heated exchange with Ja Morant. The back-and-forth led Thompson to fire shots at Morant's career and issues that have kept him off the court.
In his postgame interview, Thomposon interacted with the reporters about the incident. Initially, he avoided repeating what Morant said to him. Later, he took shots at Morant's career.
Ja Morant calls Klay Thompson a bum
Thompson referenced Morant's off-court problems and how much his behaviorl issues have created an impact on his development, forcing him to be sidelined for an prolonged period.
“Nothing of intelligent depth,” Thompson said. “He was just running his mouth. He’s been running his mouth for a long time. It’s funny to run your mouth 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’s just been letting a lot of other stuff get in the way. We need that in the NBA. We need our best players to be out there. When you’re a star, it comes with a great responsibility. Hate to see that go to waste.”
Following Memphis won 102-96, Ja Morant walked toward Klay Thompson and started celebrating in his direction. Morant appeared to be teasing him as the Grizzlies secured the win. Thompson chose not to share the exact words that were said, but cameras caught Morant calling him a "bum."
Despite the defeat, Klay Thompson was the highest scorer across both teams, registering 22 points on 7-17 shooting from the field.