There was a time when Klay Thompson's sweet shooting and seamless fit with the Golden State Warriors dynasty entertained fans around the globe. Now that Father Time has come for the 35-year-old star, he's found a new way to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
In the last week, Thompson has garnered more headlines for his high-profile personal interactions with opponents than anything he's done on the floor. Over the weekend, Thompson got into a verbal spat with injured Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant. Security and team personnel were needed to separate the two despite Morant's injury. Thompson served up the best line of the conflict when he asserted that, despite being funny, Morant irked him by "rarely taking accountability."
Some veterans might have shied away from controversy after getting into such a publicized spat. Thompson is not one of those guys. He followed up his conflict with Memphis by getting into it with the Heat bench in the Mavericks' 106-102 loss on Monday night. Thompson hit a 3 in the corner and gave the Miami substitutes a heavy dose of lip on his way back down the floor.
Klay exchanged words with the Heat bench, then came down to hit a three and point at them 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/dVghkP9DH7
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 25, 2025
Kranky Klay Thompson is making himself the Mavericks main character
Some fans might bristle at the idea of Thompson talking so much, given how much his game has fallen off. He's been a negative player for the Mavericks this season, as his trademark long-distance shooting has gone from his biggest strength to a negative. Opponents don't have much fear for a one-dimensional player who is only shooting 32 percent from behind the arc.
Part of Thompson's reason for engaging in such interpersonal conflicts might be to maintain NBA relevance for a bit longer. Fans are the big winner here, despite the former champion's motivation. The product of professional basketball is at its best when big personalities are engaging in high-stakes battle on a night-to-night basis. Ideally, that occurs in the context of a tense playoff series, but Thompson and the Mavericks aren't going to win enough games to achieve that rarified air. The least they can do is make the drudgery of a regular season a bit more spicy by getting into it with other teams they encounter.
For Thompson, this recent cranky stage will only serve as a footnote to his Hall of Fame career. Fans should embrace it for what it is. Thompson knows he has earned enough credibility during his career to say whatever he thinks. It's similar to what an elderly family member might feel entitled to spout off during the holidays due to their years on the planet. Let Kranky Klay be a thing this season that can entertain everyone.