“Horrible”: Stephen A. Smith gets brutally checked by ESPN colleague over Giannis Antetokounmpo remark

Stephen A. Smith faced a harsh reality check from his ESPN colleague Jay Williams for his remark on Giannis Antetokounmpo. Smith said Giannis would be labeled an ‘underachiever’ if he finished his NBA career with only one championship. On Monday, Williams got a chance to confront Smith about this take, and he didn’t hold back.

The former No. 2 pick called it one of Smith’s worst takes in recent memory. Williams explained why he wasn’t a fan of that opinion, saying:

“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.”

Jay Williams deemed it 'fair' to call the Milwaukee Bucks underachievers for winning only one title wth Giannis Antetokounmpo, not the other way around. He also listed Giannis' accolades as a finals MVP, multi-time All-Star and All-NBA, among others, to state his greatness.

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Williams also credited Giannis for bringing a championship to Milwaukee instead of chasing a title with a superteam elsewhere and proceeded to call Stephen A. Smith's comment 'asinine.'

He reminded Smith that his comments could also extend to other greats like Allen Iverson, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett, as they only won one or no championships.

Stephen A. Smith used Giannis Antetokounmpo's accolades to justify 'underachiever' label

While Jay Williams debated Stephen A. Smith about calling Giannis Antetokounmpo, citing his accolades, Smith also used the same reason to call Giannis an underachiever. When he issued that label for the All-Star, Smith cited that it wasn't acceptable for a player of his potential and resume to have a lack of success in the playoffs.

He was open to accepting that the Bucks' shortcomings had little to do with Giannis, but it still didn't stop him from calling the two-time MVP an underachiever. Many fans also took issue with Smith's comments at the time.

Giannis wasn't a highly touted prospect coming into the NBA. He built his way into greatness as one of the biggest underdog stories in the sport. Many believe he has overcompensated for his potential relative to his background, which saw the backlash ensue against Smith.

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Arhaan Raje

Arhaan Raje is an Assistant Content Manager and Senior Writer with Sportskeeda's NBA/WNBA team with four years of experience.

Arhaan focuses on features, trends, listicles, and the latest rumors and reports circling the league's top teams and players. He emphasizes detailed research to create impactful content for readers. A fan of Xs and Os, Arhaan provides technical deep dives in his reporting.

Arhaan completed his bachelor's degree in BBA in Media and Entertainment Management from Mumbai, India.

Arhaan admires the killer mentality of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He respects LeBron James for being a role model on and off the court. The bold and decisive Gregg Popovich stands out as Arhaan's favorite basketball coach. LeBron's epic chase-down block in the 2016 NBA Finals has a special place in Arhaan's basketball memories.

He has interviewed former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton and Ronnie 2K, the face of NBA2k and Marketing Director.

Sports isn't the only passion he has pursued professionally. Arhaan is also into performing arts in the music industry as a percussionist.

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