The Dallas Mavericks’ struggles this season don’t seem to end. Sitting at 5-13 and dropping three of their last five, Dallas suffered another painful defeat on November 22 as they lost (102-96) to the Memphis Grizzlies.
But the final score wasn’t the biggest talking point of the night. Instead, scuffles and a shocking on-air jab aimed at Klay Thompson stole the spotlight.
Klay Thompson Snubbed by a Memphis Grizzlies Announcer
During the intense third quarter of the Mavericks vs. Grizzlies game, tensions flared when Memphis forward Santi Aldama grabbed the leg of the Mavericks’ rookie, Cooper Flagg, who was sprinting back on a fast break. The contact caused Flagg to trip and stumble in the backcourt awkwardly.
Following a review, Aldama’s action was upgraded to a flagrant one foul, which sparked immediate reactions from the Mavericks’ sideline. Head coach Jason Kidd hurriedly intervened to hold back an incensed Flagg from confronting Aldama directly while Thompson stepped forward aggressively to defend his young teammate. The intensity of their exchange escalated until game officials had to step in and separate the two players.
“With the tall guy Aldama, I thought, just like that’s not cool. I’ve seen them do dirty stuff before. I remember in the playoffs, 2022, they broke my teammate’s elbow on a dirty hit. I don’t like seeing that done to a rookie. That’s not cool. Don’t be dirty,” said Thompson after the game regarding Aldama, as per Noah Weber.
Videos of this heated interaction quickly went viral online, showing clear evidence that Aldama’s touch led to Flagg’s fall. Yet, Thompson’s fiery reaction did not sit well with all observers.
One Grizzlies announcer sharply criticized Thompson’s display, claiming that although Thompson was trying to show toughness, he wasn’t a genuine enforcer on the court and would never be seen as one in the league.
“Stop it, Klay Thompson… It’s not in his nature. Nothing about that is in his nature to do any of it. You’re going to sit down. They will call probably a technical foul or something. But there’s no way in the world. Klay Thompson has never been an enforcer. You’re never going to be an enforcer in this league in any way, shape, or form,” said the announcer regarding Thompson.
Grizzlies announcers after Klay Thompson stood up for Flagg, after a dirty foul by Santi Aldama:
“Oh, stop it Klay Thompson… Klay Thompson is doing Klay Thompson things, barking at it.
It’s not even in his nature. Nothing about that in his nature to do any of it. He’s going to… pic.twitter.com/y4UvsApF89— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) November 23, 2025
This confrontation was not the only heated moment involving Thompson during the game. He also got into a fiery altercation with Grizzlies guard Vince Williams Jr., which resulted in Thompson receiving double technical fouls. The drama spilled beyond the game as Thompson engaged in a heated post-game verbal exchange with Memphis star Ja Morant.
On the performance front, Thompson gave his all as he scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting, including a hot 6-of-12 from three-point range and perfect free-throw shooting (2-of-2) in 28 minutes of action. Despite Thompson’s efforts, the Mavericks couldn’t capitalize enough to secure the win.
Dallas held a slight upper hand early on as they led by one point after the first quarter and extended that lead to four points by halftime. However, the tide shifted in the second half as the Grizzlies found their groove. Memphis had the biggest lead of the game, nine points, in the third quarter and posted 26 points in the fourth, which Dallas was unable to counter and lost.
Now, the Mavericks must quickly regroup and prepare to face their next opponent, the Miami Heat, on November 24.
