Klay Thompson made derogatory statements against Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. on Thursday without mentioning his name.
Following the Warriors’ 103-90 victory over the Celtics to earn their fourth title in eight years, Thompson referred to Jackson as a “bum” and a “clown,” citing a March tweet by Jackson.
Jackson has yet to reply publicly, but the Grizzlies appear to be complimenting the Warriors’ unusual prominence in the six-game NBA Finals.
Thompson made his remarks shortly after winning his fourth ring on Thursday and minutes after celebrating with his teammates. He indirectly called out Jackson for making fun of the Warriors earlier this year. Ja Morant replied with a response on Friday:
Morant tweeted, “Got a lot of real estate,” and included a laughing face emoji in the post.
Thompson-Jackson drama triggered by a tweet
The drama started immediately after the Grizzlies defeated the Warriors in Memphis on March 28. Jackson tweeted “Strength in numbers,” a jab at the motto the Warriors had embraced to rise as a consistent title contender.
At the time, very few people paid attention, but apparently, Thompson did. After Golden State eliminated the Celtics from the Finals and advanced to the NBA Championship, Klay Thompson did not hold back.
“Strength in numbers is alive and well,” Thompson told reporters. “There was this one player on the Grizzlies who tweeted, ‘Strength in numbers,’ after they beat us in the regular season, and it pissed me off so much. I can’t wait to retweet that thing.”
“Freakin’ bum. I had to watch that. I’m like, ‘This freakin’ clown,” he continued.
Thompson also added that Jackson’s tweet was still vivid in his mind, and he remembered it after the Warriors won the championship.
“Gonna mock us?” Thompson said, “You ain’t ever been there before. We’ve been there before. We know what it takes. So, to be here again, hold that.”
On the other hand, Jackson has not responded to Thompson’s remarks yet. However, he did post a few tweets, some of which had the phrases “Just let go” and “A lot of the time, it’s right in front of us.”
Thompson returns from injury recovery
In May, the Grizzlies’ season was cut short by the Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals.
On the offensive end, Curry again led the way for Golden State. He ended with a team-high 34 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in the series-clinching triumph, adding another chapter to his already illustrious career.
The rest of the Warriors provided plenty of support for Curry, as Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Draymond Green, and Thompson scored in double figures.
The Celtics, on the other hand, were led by Jaylen Brown, who did everything he could with 34 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, but it wasn’t enough to extend their season one more game.
Thompson made eight 3-pointers in a 30-point performance to help Golden State defeat Memphis in Game 6 by a 110-96. On Thursday, he was awarded his fourth championship ring after he tallied 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists in Game 6.
“I’m just thankful to be here, man,” he said in a statement during the Warriors’ post-game celebration at TD Garden.
It was a fitting finale to Thompson’s epic comeback season, which saw him return to full strength after suffering a torn ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals and a torn right Achilles in November 2020.