Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant shared his feelings toward the Los Angeles Lakers and recounted his exchange with LeBron James during the Grizzlies’ 131-114 victory on Wednesday.

Morant explained that his animosity toward the Lakers stems from their elimination of Memphis in the 2023 playoffs: “I don’t like them. They knocked me out of the playoffs. Then last year, they came here and beat us on our home floor while I was in street clothes. I wasn’t in street clothes tonight.”

The two-time All-Star also reflected on his interaction with LeBron James in the second quarter, which saw James perform the “too little” gesture after scoring on Morant. Morant quickly responded with the same “too little” move on a subsequent possession, saying, “I think I did the ‘too small’ to somebody who was too small. Came back and did it respectfully… He did it, and I don’t back down from anybody. I don’t care who you are.”

Morant emphasized his role in setting the tone for the game, adding, “My job was to just come back. I got my bucket, and I set the tone. My teammates fed off of it, and you see what happens. Take out the top dog in our league—who else are you going to fear?”

Morant also received a technical foul for bumping into James from behind, but Memphis entered halftime with a six-point lead and dominated the second half to secure the victory.

Despite playing only 24 minutes, Morant tied for the team lead with 20 points, adding five assists, four rebounds, one steal, and one block.