What did Jay Williams say about going against Stephen A. Smith? Looking into his comments and Kobe Bryant comparison
When Kyrie Irving was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Dallas Mavericks last month, it caused quite a stir between Stephen A. Smith and Jay Williams as the two analysts had a heated argument on an ESPN "First Take" segment.
Williams and Smith went back-and-forth regarding personal feelings and agendas being brought into the mix as it pertains to Smith and Irving. The heated exchange on live television became awkward, with moderator Molly Qerim taking control and moving to the next topic of the show.
A month after the exchange, Jay Williams said this about the dustup on the "Front Office Sports Today" podcast:
"I wasn’t intimidated playing against Kobe Bryant. What the hell makes you think I’m gonna be intimidated going against Stephen A. Smith? I’ve played against some of the best athletes in the world. I’ve sparred with some of the smartest people on this planet.
"I don’t feel the need to back down from anybody, and I think Stephen A. Smith is one of the best there is in TV. I also believe that I’m one of the best at what I do."
Jay Williams' competitiveness on and off the court
As it pertains to Jay Williams' NBA career, he was the No. 2 pick in the 2002 draft by the Chicago Bulls. However, he only played one season, averaging 9.5 points, 4.7 assists and 2.6 rebounds before sustaining career-ending injuries in a high-speed motorcycle crash after that season.
Williams' competitive nature was seen the most during his time with the Duke Blue Devils. He led Duke to the 2001 NCAA championship, averaging 21.6 ppg, 6.1 apg and 3.3 rpg, and was the consensus national player of the year the following season. His No. 22 was retired by the school.
From his competitive nature on the court, this transitioned to his personality in sports debates.
"I never take it personally," Williams said of his duel with Stephen A. Smith. "Things may get heated. We may yell at each other. We had an awkward-as-hell moment the other day when I felt like he was giving personal takes on Kyrie. He said he wasn’t.
"Now, I stopped talking about it. He talked about it afterwards on another pod. … He talked about taking it personal. I’m like ‘OK, got it! Just tell me it’s personal!’ I’m willing to engage, pound for pound. That’s what TV should be. I think that makes it entertaining."