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Jay Williams CALLS OUT American basketball GOING SOFT š£ļø āTRY OUT EUROPEAN BASKETBALLā | First Take
Jay Williams, Stephen A. Smith and Michael Wilbon join Molly Qerim on First Take to react to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being named the 2025 NBA MVP, the seventh international-born player in a row to win MVP. 0:00 JWillās message 2:50 Wilbonās thoughts 4:30 Stephen A.: AAU ruining the American game 6:01 Stephen A. on Euro basketballā¦
@commoncentz3148
May 23, 2025 at 10:36 pm
Monta Ellis spoke on this subject on Zack Randolph and Tony Allen podcast
@marvinmclean789
May 23, 2025 at 10:38 pm
I donāt think American players getting beat will change anything, the players today donāt have that competitive drive, theyāre more concerned about the money
@khek6507
May 23, 2025 at 10:38 pm
Luka, SGA, Giannis, Joker, Wemby, Jamal M, Siakam, Franz Wagner, SengĆ¼n, Porzingis, Lauri Markkanen, OG Anounobi, Buddy Hield, Luguentz Dort, Kuminga, Schroeder, ā¦ā¦Not so bad. Shooting guards are missingā¦ but I think we got a chanceā¦.
@juddy9520
May 23, 2025 at 10:43 pm
Or maybe the world players are simply better. Why put down the American players in that same tone smh
@Boutros4g
May 23, 2025 at 10:43 pm
American look at me Iām a star brand social media culture vs fundamentals, team and the game. Makes perfect sense
@nydibs
May 23, 2025 at 10:44 pm
How is US basketball soft when SGA, Luka, Embiid are flopping all over the court and getting all the love from the refs
@KyleStrutt
May 23, 2025 at 10:45 pm
Three great minds. Very articulate men.
@sosaboi6168
May 23, 2025 at 10:47 pm
if Jokic had the athleticism of a high school 3 star black kid .. heād be God
@bwither333
May 23, 2025 at 10:48 pm
Watch what happens in the 28 olympics the getting beat they talking aboutā¦smh itās looking like itās gonna be ugly for us on our own turf in basketball.
@sganzlans
May 23, 2025 at 10:51 pm
Yall cant talk about the players without talking about the refs. How they supposed to up the ante when everythings a foul lol
@junnrivera5865
May 23, 2025 at 10:55 pm
American players rely too much on athleticism. Seen too many players able to dunk and produce crazy highlights, but also canāt even shoot a free throw or make a correct read on a play.
@rfair2107
May 23, 2025 at 10:56 pm
So we just going to ignore the fact that they play professional basketball @ the age of 14. Where over here we have to go to high school and college so everyone can make money of off the athletes.
@NoName-cn3cp
May 23, 2025 at 10:57 pm
Jokic most overrated traffic cone in NBA history
@WutTheDeuceGaming
May 23, 2025 at 11:08 pm
weāve all seen Olympic play, stop it Jay. Itās not as much of a problem with European refs, but itās slowly getting there. Thereās a reason why we won a few of those games during the Olympics, FOUL CALLS.
@VKaloustian14
May 23, 2025 at 11:12 pm
This is the single best thing to come out of the playoffs this year and itās not remotely close.
@Guttagangboosie102
May 23, 2025 at 11:13 pm
I got a lot to say about this topic. First, one big difference between European players and American playersā¦ European players donāt care about playing in big markets. Giannis stayed with Milwaukee for 12 years, Jokic been with Denver for a long time, guarantee you San Antonio will be able to build around Wemby for years to come. I say that to say, the big American players care way too much about playing on specific teams instead of staying and building with one team. And if you look at the draft over the last few years you can tell owners are aware of this, which is why theyāre drafting so many European players
@rerocrecordings
May 23, 2025 at 11:17 pm
I would like to see a USA vs World gameā¦ but it canāt just replace the All Star Game.
@JamarcDavid-z8l
May 23, 2025 at 11:17 pm
Molly gets on my nervez
S/O to the REST of the cast
@KevinWilliams-pw8wp
May 23, 2025 at 11:18 pm
The NBA has diversified itself into an American-Euro trash league! The game has transformed itself into one on one trick shots of position-less basketball! Bigmen shoot from the locker rooms and team logos ON the court!
While the little giant guards are posting up, like power forwards and centers! This transformation has corrupted and DEBASED the PRO game of basketball!
There are constants in this transformed basketball equation? that always raises its ugly head! The physicality and brutality of missed calls and blind zebra referees whose arrogant and flippant attitudes foment and promote this foolishness! Thank God we have instant replay! A safe guard against point shaving and gambling drinking blind zebras! WHO in the past took the privilege of flying and riding first class! Only to bump those tickets down to the coachpart of the plane? Only to pocket the difference! LIKE THE NBA UNION DIDNāT GIVE YOU BUMS INCIDENTAL MONIES TO PREVENT THESE NEFARIOUS ACTS! To be continued!
@AnthonyBrown-ku5xl
May 23, 2025 at 11:23 pm
Jay right ā ļø
@Fiction2K24
May 23, 2025 at 11:24 pm
šš Typical American athlete mentality, thinking theyāre the best in the world, but when itās time to prove it, they come up with excuses for years šš
@denisako6493
May 23, 2025 at 11:25 pm
American players play the game for show rather than concentrate on the actual game
@meistahx
May 23, 2025 at 11:26 pm
The US has a population of 300M+, EU basketball countries are like a fraction comparing to the US
@mrsilkysmoothd
May 23, 2025 at 11:30 pm
Molly no one cares about your thoughts
@TheMilchBroetchen
May 23, 2025 at 11:31 pm
One major difference between U.S. and European basketball lies in player development and basketball educationābeyond just physical talent. In the U.S., the focus is often on individual stats and offensive highlights, with structured basketball education typically beginning around college. In Europe, however, the foundation is built much earlier. In countries like Serbia, kids start learning the game as early as age 6 or 7. In Germany, for example, youth players train five days a week in structured team systems alongside their regular schooling.
The European game emphasizes teamwork, discipline, and tactical understanding. Itās more physical, the court feels tighter, and the game is far more strategic. Players are held accountable for mistakes and are expected to implement complex tacticsāsome coaches are practically playing chess out there. Referees also enforce the rules more strictly (e.g., travels), and thereās no preferential treatment for star players, making scoring significantly more challenging.
In contrast, NBA basketball offers much more space, especially in the paint. Players often take two steps before even dribbling, and defenders arenāt allowed to play as physically. Naturally, this makes it easier to score. Additionally, the variety of offensive sets and structured plays in the NBA is limited compared to Europe, where coaches often develop distinct tactical systems. As a result, the NBA game often devolves into isolation plays and contested jumpers.
So the difference isnāt just that the NBA is āsofterāāitās about the entire basketball philosophy and development model. In the U.S., many players are taught how to score, while in Europe, theyāre taught how to play.