The Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors have become one of the most entertaining rivalries in the NBA.
The Grizzlies knocked the depleted Warriors out of the play-in tournament a couple of seasons ago, and they haven’t stopped trash-talking each other ever since.
Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks has been one of the most active trash-talkers in this rivalry, going as far as to say that he was looking forward to shutting down Klay Thompson on Christmas day:
“I got Klay. I like that matchup better because he was talking a little smack when we lost. I’ll just show him what type of defense I got,” Brooks said ahead of the game.
The Dubs sure took notice of his words and were at his best despite not having Stephen Curry or Andrew Wiggins on the court.
They dominated the Grizzlies with a 14-point win and a lot of talking, taunting, and technical fouls.
And, notably, when asked about it, Thompson didn’t shy away from making a big statement:
“Man, they [were] talking about dynasty and all that; you can’t talk dynasty when you haven’t won before,” Thompson said after the win. “I don’t think people realize how hard that is, the commitment and sacrifice it takes. You got to sacrifice your body, and I thought that was premature talk to even mention that word. They bring the best out of us and I think we do the same. And, even though you don’t like ’em, you got to respect ’em because they’re a threat.”
"You can't talk dynasty when you haven't won before … I thought that was premature talk."
—Klay after beating the Grizzlies on Christmas pic.twitter.com/mBR1Uq5h7I
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 26, 2022
The young Grizzlies sure are a team to look out for.
They’re hungry, athletic, and won’t back down from any challenge.
But maybe, just maybe, you don’t want to poke the team that’s dominated the NBA for nearly a decade now.
