Ja Morant has become one of the NBA’s elite talents. But unfortunately, many fans feel his on-court brilliance is now overshadowed by the controversies that follow him. From run-ins with opponents to unnecessary gun gestures, the Memphis Grizzlies star has repeatedly made headlines for the wrong reasons.
If anyone thought those problems were behind him Saturday night, they suggested otherwise. In a game that already had the temperature rising, Morant sparked yet another scuffle, this time with Klay Thompson.
Ja Morant Raised the Heat After Saturday’s Game
In the closing seconds of the Mavericks’ 102-96 loss to the Grizzlies on November 22 at American Airlines Center, emotions were already running hot. Dallas had clawed but come up short, and the game had a chippy edge built into it, from hard fouls to constant jawing between the benches.
Earlier, Thompson had stepped to Santi Aldama after what he felt was a cheap trip on rookie Cooper Flagg, doing the classic veteran move of letting Memphis know their physicality had crossed a line. That confrontation earned attention on its own and set the emotional temperature high as the final buzzer sounded.
As players funneled toward the tunnel after the buzzer, Morant, who was dressed in grey street clothes and not a jersey, decided to insert himself directly into Thompson’s path. According to the viral clips bouncing around social media, Morant shouted at Thompson, reportedly calling him “a bum” while jabbing a finger close to the Mavs guard’s face as if to punctuate every word.
Thompson immediately knocked Morant’s hand away and was clearly annoyed that a player who hadn’t logged a single minute was now front and center in his space. Teammates, coaches, and arena security moved quickly between them before anything more physical developed, but the images of Morant pointing and laughing while Thompson stared him down fueled instant debate online.
If Morant thought it ended there, he misread his target. Postgame, Thompson was asked about the incident, and instead of escalating with profanity or spilling every word exchanged, he chose his words carefully.
“Nothing of intelligent depth. It was really just running his mouth, and 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 kinda the story of his career so far… He’s just been letting a lot of other stuff get in the way of that… When you’re a star, it comes with great responsibility, and I hate to see that go to waste,” said Thompson regarding Morant after the game.
Klay Thompson on his exchange with Ja Morant:
“Nothing of intelligent depth. It was really just running his mouth, and 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 kinda the story of his career so far… He’s just… pic.twitter.com/s156dfNTJx
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 23, 2025
While the exchange instantly went viral, it wasn’t the first time Morant stirred negative attention this month. Just three weeks earlier, on November 1, he was suspended one game by the Grizzlies after a blowup with interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Following a disappointing performance against the Los Angeles Lakers, in which Morant scored only eight points on an inefficient 3-for-14 night, Iisalo reportedly challenged his effort and leadership in front of the team.
Instead of owning the criticism, Morant fired back with dismissive remarks, later telling the press that reporters should “ask the coaching staff” why his minutes were limited. The Grizzlies subsequently benched him for their next contest against the Toronto Raptors.
So when Saturday’s clip of Morant finger‑pointing at Thompson’s face went viral, a large chunk of NBA fans didn’t view it as harmless trash talk, but they saw it as more of the same. Comment sections and fan forums tilted heavily in Thompson’s favor, with many arguing that Morant had no business taunting a future Hall of Famer in street clothes, especially one with four championship rings and years of playoff scars to back up his words.
Whether this altercation will escalate any further remains to be seen. For now, the viral moment has the NBA world buzzing once again.
