Giannis Antetokounmpo brutally mocks Stephen A. Smith with must-see trophy haul picture and cheeky message

In mid-June, Stephen A. Smith stirred the basketball world with a hot take about NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The “First Take” host said that “underachiever” best describes Antetokounmpo if the two-time MVP fails to win another championship. The sports talk show anchor noted the Milwaukee Bucks forward’s dominance but found the championship haul lacking.

On Monday, Antetokounmpo went on Instagram to react to Smith’s comments with a story and wrote:

“Underachiever my [a**]”

In the story, Antetokounmpo flaunted his two NBA MVP awards, the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year award and the 2021 Larry O’Brien Trophy. Also included in the photo were the 2021 NBA Finals MVP award and the 2024 NBA Cup MVP. The trophy haul represented Antetokounmpo’s dominance over the past nine years.

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Stephen A. Smith noted after his “underachiever” remark that since winning the 2021 championship, the Milwaukee Bucks have not fared well. They lost 4-3 to the Boston Celtics in the semifinals of the 2022 playoffs before suffering three first-round exits. Smith acknowledged Antetokounmpo’s injuries and injuries to teammates as reasons the Bucks have not lived up to expectations.

In 2023, Giannis Antetokounmpo dealt with a back injury. Last year, he could not suit up in the playoffs due to a calf strain. Antetokounmpo was healthy in the 2025 playoffs, but Damian Lillard tore his ACL.

Still, the analyst expected and wanted more team success from the nine-time All-NBA star.

Jay Williams pushed back against Stephen A. Smith’s “underachiever” comment about Giannis Antetokounmpo

ESPN sports analyst Jay Williams refuted colleague Stephen A. Smith’s “underachiever” comments about Antetokounmpo.

"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."

The former Duke star added that to call Giannis Antetokounmpo an “underachiever” was to give multiple NBA legends the same tag. Williams noted Smith also put the same label on players such as Allen Iverson, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett and the great Oscar Robertson.

Antetokounmpo is still hoping to win another championship to add to his tally. When he can win his second title is anybody’s guess, particularly since Milwaukee Bucks teammate Damian Lillard is out with an ACL injury.

For Jay Williams, Giannis Antetokounmpo could never be called an “underachiever” whether the NBA superstar wins another championship or not.

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Michael Macasero

Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael's background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich's genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael's reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael's children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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