Latest news with #GiannisAntetokounmpo
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN's Jay Williams Rips Stephen A. Smith For 'Asinine Comment' on Giannis Antetokounmpo
ESPN's often cartoonish Stephen A. Smith has proven time and again that he will find his way into the news cycle, one way or another, regardless of whether it's for good or for bad. But, ultimately, it's almost always been good from the lens of ESPN, because having Smith in headlines from countless media outlets at a near constant rate has proven to be exceptionally great for business. Advertisement There's a very valid reason the 57-year-old Smith recently signed a monster contract with the "The Worldwide Leader in Sports," inking a $100 million deal that will keep him at ESPN for the next five years. However, there's also a very valid reason that the man who chooses to play solitaire on his phone while in attendance for an intensely pivotal game of the NBA Finals is frequently ripe for loud criticism. And sometimes, even from his own EPSN colleagues. Enter Jay Williams, the former Duke basketball star and regular contributor to First Take, Stephen A. Smith's signature show, who simply could not hold back after Smith rather bizarrely referred to two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo as an "underachiever" during Monday's show. "That was one of your worst takes I've heard in a long time, man," Williams said in response to the "underachiever" comment made by Smith. "That was horrible ... It's always love, but I think we really need to do a better job of reframing some of these conversations." Advertisement "But a guy [Antetokounmpo] who has a 50-point closeout game [in the 2021 NBA Finals]. A guy who's never chased any of these dream team scenarios," Williams continued. "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 an NBA championship to Milwaukee, to Milwaukee ... to call him an underachiever I just think is an asinine comment." Williams went on to essentially say that, by Smith's logic, there's an exorbitant number of fellow professional basketball players out there who have seen great success that led to winning an NBA championship, but would still fall under the same bizarre umbrella of "underachieving." Unfortunately for Williams, in what was an otherwise solid and lengthy retort to Smith's click-bait type of claim, Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson never won an NBA Championship. Yes, Iverson absolutely did carry that 76ers team to the NBA Finals in 2001 against a loaded Los Angeles Lakers team, but he never won a title. Advertisement Nonetheless, Williams calling out Smith in a prolonged rant made for the type of sports entertainment that First Take was designed for, although even ESPN producers opted to drop some "time's up" type of tune at the 2-minute, 16-second mark of the clip. To put the cherry on top of what turned out to be a highly expressive morning for the 43-year-old Williams, he may or may not have purposely dropped a dig at Stephen A. Smith in reference to him apparently never being around. "He's only working nine thousand jobs," Williams said as host Molly Qerim sent First Take to commercial. Related: Travis Kelce Makes Major Physical Change Ahead of NFL Season ESPN's Jay Williams Rips Stephen A. Smith For 'Asinine Comment' on Giannis Antetokounmpo first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 16, 2025
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Report: Nets unable to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo as he stays put
The Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of a 2025 NBA offseason in which the team can undergo a number of strategies as they look to build up the roster for the 2025-26 season. Brooklyn has reportedly been hoping that Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo would request a trade out of Milwaukee, but it seems like that dream will have to be put on hold for now. "Right now, there is no Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market, there is no Giannis Antetokounmpo trade discussions. He has not asked for it. The Bucks are not looking to trade him," ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Tuesday during his appearance on "Get Up." Ever since the Milwaukee Bucks lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs in April, the talk of the league has been the future of Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Advertisement ESPN's Shams Charania reported in May that Antetokounmpo was open-minded about his future for the first time in the 12 years that he has been with the Bucks. Along those lines, Brian Lewis of the New York Post has continually reported on the fact that Brooklyn has maintained interest in Antetokounmpo if he were ever to become available, especially this summer when they have plenty of assets to work with. Heading into the 2025 NBA Draft in June, the Nets have five picks to use, including four picks in the first round and they have the most cap space in the league to be able to take on more salary for someone like Antetokounmpo, for example. However, now that Antetokounmpo is staying put in Milwaukee, at least for the time being, Brooklyn has no choice but to pivot to another player or continue the rebuild as it has been thus far. Many have argued that the Nets should stay the course with their rebuild as opposed to going all-in for someone like Antetokounmpo when the roster still needs more to be able to compete for a championship. With the latest news from Windhorst, it seems that the Nets could focus more of its attention on trying to maximize this upcoming draft, including maneuvers like acquiring a second Lottery pick or moving up in said draft. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Report: Nets unable to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo as he stays put
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How do the Nets pivot with Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo staying put?
The Brooklyn Nets have plenty to think about this offseason as the 2025 NBA Draft is less than one week away with free-agency probably beginning shortly afterwards. Brooklyn has five picks in the upcoming Draft, but they also lead the league in cap space so it's interesting to ponder how they could navigate this offseason amidst all of the moves. ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently said on Get Up that "There's not going to be a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in the short-term future" as he spoke on what could happen this summer with Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Brooklyn reportedly has been interested in trading for Antetokounmpo for some time now, but it seems that he is off the table at the moment. Advertisement "The league has come to terms with the realization that the Bucks are going to keep him and Giannis is not going to ask for a trade. I can't speak to what might happen in August," Windhorst continued. To Windhorst's point, while Antetokounmpo appeared to be available earlier this offseason after ESPN's Shams Charania's reporting, that doesn't look to be the case now. For the Nets, they could take the patient approach of waiting to see what happens closer to training camp, but by then, they will have already gone through the Draft and free-agency. With Brooklyn's league-leading cap space, they can choose to go after restricted free-agents like Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga or Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey. If the Nets are willing to go after players that could be available for a trade, there are players like Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball as guys whose names have appeared in trade rumors. Either way, with the news that Antetokounmpo is staying in Milwaukee as of now, Brooklyn will have to pivot in some way and there are a myriad of ways to do so. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: How do the Nets pivot with Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo staying put?
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
How do the Nets pivot with Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo staying put?
How do the Nets pivot with Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo staying put? The Brooklyn Nets have plenty to think about this offseason as the 2025 NBA Draft is less than one week away with free-agency probably beginning shortly afterwards. Brooklyn has five picks in the upcoming Draft, but they also lead the league in cap space so it's interesting to ponder how they could navigate this offseason amidst all of the moves. ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently said on Get Up that "There's not going to be a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in the short-term future" as he spoke on what could happen this summer with Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Brooklyn reportedly has been interested in trading for Antetokounmpo for some time now, but it seems that he is off the table at the moment. "The league has come to terms with the realization that the Bucks are going to keep him and Giannis is not going to ask for a trade. I can't speak to what might happen in August," Windhorst continued. To Windhorst's point, while Antetokounmpo appeared to be available earlier this offseason after ESPN's Shams Charania's reporting, that doesn't look to be the case now. For the Nets, they could take the patient approach of waiting to see what happens closer to training camp, but by then, they will have already gone through the Draft and free-agency. With Brooklyn's league-leading cap space, they can choose to go after restricted free-agents like Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga or Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey. If the Nets are willing to go after players that could be available for a trade, there are players like Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball as guys whose names have appeared in trade rumors. Either way, with the news that Antetokounmpo is staying in Milwaukee as of now, Brooklyn will have to pivot in some way and there are a myriad of ways to do so.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stephen A. Smith's 1-word Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo take may frustrate fans
The post Stephen A. Smith's 1-word Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo take may frustrate fans appeared first on ClutchPoints. Giannis Antetokounmpo and his future with the Milwaukee Bucks are in the spotlight, as many are wondering whether he will stay with the team or request a trade. Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the league, and with him being in the prime of his career, he should be chasing as many championships as he can. Advertisement The latest debate on First Take was what would be the one word to describe Antetokounmpo if he doesn't win another title, and Smith may have frustrated some people with his answer. 'Underachiever,' Smith said. 'He's one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Over the last four years, minimum 200 games, Giannis is second in the league with 30.4 points per game, fifth in the league with 11.7 rebounds per game. Nine All-NBA selections in his career, nine All-Star selections, and top-10 in MVP voting nine times. He has more of that than postseason series wins. That's unacceptable. 'You don't look at somebody that dominant, that fantastic, with that kind of fire in his belly to compete on a night-in, night-out basis, and all you have is one championship to show for it. He's got one playoff series win in the last four years. Not fault; he was hurt a couple of times.' Advertisement Like Smith said, it's not Antetokounmpo's fault that he was dealt this deck of cards, but it's hard to diminish what he's done throughout his career because he only has one ring. Will Giannis Antetokounmpo stay with the Bucks? Everyone is wondering what Antetokounmpo will decide to do regarding his future with the Bucks. With the team's lack of playoff success over the past few seasons, there is considerable uncertainty about whether this team has reached its ceiling and needs to start anew. At the same time, Antetokounmpo can lead a team by himself, but he will need help to get to the next level. The Bucks may not have the pieces and cap space to make that work, and with Damian Lillard set to miss most of next season as he recovers from an Achilles injury, Antetokounmpo might not want to wait for the dominoes to fall, and he can try to request a trade to another team. Advertisement That scenario could also bring some problems because Antetokounmpo can cost a team a lot of assets, and by the time he's traded, the team might not have that much talent to work with. Related: Shams Charania responds to Bucks star Giannis' missing 'Woj' post Related: Bucks rumors: Brian Windhorst makes firm declaration on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
