Jay Williams assumed the role of bad take slayer and attacked Stephen A. Smith’s recent assessment of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Last week on ESPN’s First Take, Smith was asked to summarize Antetokounmpo’s career in one word, assuming he doesn’t win another championship. Smith opted for “underachiever,” and Jay Williams appears to have hated it. On Monday morning’s First Take, Williams used Smith’s “underachiever” comment as proof that NBA media needs to do better.
Jay Williams tears into Stephen A. Smith for labeling Giannis Antetokounmpo an “underachiever.”
“That was one of your worst takes I’ve heard in a long time, man. That was horrible… I think we really need to do a better job of reframing some of these conversations.” pic.twitter.com/C3rM9JrqpB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 16, 2025
“That was one of your worst takes I’ve heard in a long time, man. That was horrible,” Williams told Smith. “I think we really need to do a better job of reframing some of these conversations. If you were to say that the franchise, the Milwaukee Bucks, have underachieved or are the biggest underachievers with the talent of Giannis, fair. But a guy who has a 50-point closeout game, a guy who has never chased any of these dream team scenarios, a guy who is a Finals MVP, a guy who is a multi-time All-Star, All-NBA, all everything, global face of the game.
“The fact that he brought a championship to Milwaukee…to call him an underachiever is just, I think, an asinine comment,” Williams continued. “Having the seat that you have, having the career that you’ve had, we gotta frame these conversations, cause there’s no way in hell anybody who watches basketball, who knows the level of greatness that comes along with Giannis, would say that he’s an underachiever.”
All the while, Smith sat there huffing, sighing, and rolling his eyes at Williams. It’s surprising Smith didn’t just take his phone out to start playing solitaire as Williams was talking.
Eventually, it was Smith’s turn to respond, and he did so by claiming Williams was misrepresenting his full take.
“Clearly you didn’t listen to what I had to say. Maybe you were stuck in traffic, maybe you were negotiating another business deal, maybe you were doing another one of your shows because you are a very, very busy and successful man.” – Stephen A. Smith pic.twitter.com/pPuy2qkq8T
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 16, 2025
“I’m entitled to call your take asinine,” Smith fired back. “As a matter of fact, it’s a bit worse than that because you’re ill-informed, because clearly you didn’t listen to what I had to say. Maybe you were stuck in traffic, maybe you were negotiating another business deal, maybe you were doing another one of your shows because you are a very, very busy and successful man. But you didn’t listen to my full take.”
Yes, Smith accused someone else of holding too many jobs. And yes, Smith labeled Antetokounmpo an “underachiever” and then faulted Williams for having the takeaway that he called Antetokounmpo an “underachiever.”
Smith defended himself by noting he “specifically stated that Giannis is one of the greatest players to have ever lived.” That’s very nice of Smith to say that, but it shouldn’t discount the fact that he called the former NBA league and Finals MVP an “underachiever.” And it doesn’t discount Williams taking issue with the fact that Smith called Antetokounmpo an “underachiever.”
Smith knew what he was doing when he labeled Antetokounmpo an “underachiever.” He knew it would garner a reaction and pushback. So, when that reaction and pushback come in as expected, don’t deflect the blame.