Klay rips Morant: 'Guy who rarely takes accountability'

Klay Thompson and Ja Morant had to be separated by teammates and coaches at the end of the Memphis Grizzlies' 102-96 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.

As both teams made their way off the court, Morant, who did not play, appeared to taunt Thompson while pointing his finger in the Mavericks vet's face. Thompson approached Morant in response, but personnel from both teams quickly stepped in as Thompson was pulled away to the tunnel.

"He's a funny guy," Thompson said of Morant postgame, courtesy of DLLS Sports. "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."

When asked specifically what Morant said, Thompson didn't specify, but said he took exception to the Grizzlies guard talking trash despite being sidelined with a calf strain.

Saturday was Morant's fourth absence in Memphis' last five games, including a third straight for the Grizzlies guard. The 26-year-old was limited to just 59 games combined over the previous two seasons due to suspensions and multiple injuries.

"Nothing of intelligent depth. It was really just his running his mouth," Thompson said. "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 been the story of his career so far, leaving us wanting more. We all want to see him out there and do his best. He's just been letting a lot of other stuff get in the way of that. ... We need our best (NBA) players to be out there. When you're a star, it comes with a great responsibility. I hate to see that go to waste."

Morant appeared to take another postgame dig at Thompson when he interrupted an on-court interview involving teammate Cam Spencer, who finished with 17 points off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting (3-of-5 from three).

"Tell 'em who the best shooter in the house was," Morant appears to say on the broadcast. "It wasn't bro from Golden State."

Morant and Thompson have become well-acquainted with each other dating back to the latter's time with the Golden State Warriors. A feud between the two teams first developed in 2021 when Morant and Memphis defeated Golden State in the play-in tournament, though Thompson and the Warriors got even the following year when they won their second-round playoff series in six games.