Jay Williams Responds to Kevin Durant Saying He Lied About Giannis Story

Former NBA guard and current ESPN analyst Jay Williams defended a story he recently shared regarding Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Williams explained his side Wednesday on ESPN's KJZ:

"No. 1, I stand by my story. No. 2, I was probably wrong for sharing a personal story, but that's what we do. That's what we do here on our show. And it was meant as a compliment for Kevin Durant to show that there are levels to this and that he was actually right. There are different levels between KD and Giannis."

Williams was referencing a story he told Tuesday on ESPN's Get Up! when he said Durant once took issue with Williams comparing him to Giannis:

Durant later commented on an Instagram post regarding Williams' story, calling it a "F--kin lie," and adding, "Jay Williams can NEVER speak for me, ever."

Durant has been involved in multiple internet controversies over the years, including a rivalry with actor Michael Rapaport.

Earlier this year, Rapaport posted screenshots of some of the messages Durant sent to him, some of which were homophobic and misogynistic.

Previously, Durant was found to have been using a burner account on social media to defend himself against those who criticized him.

Durant and Giannis are currently clashing in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, with Durant and the Nets holding a 2-0 series lead over Giannis and the Bucks.

Before Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was named the 2020-21 NBA MVP on Tuesday, Giannis was the two-time reigning NBA MVP, although he and his teams have fallen short in the playoffs to this point in his career.

Durant is only a one-time NBA MVP, but he has been named the NBA Finals MVP twice, as he led the Golden State Warriors to titles against the Cleveland Cavaliers and outperformed LeBron James in both instances.

Regardless of whether Williams' story is 100 percent true, the idea that Antetokounmpo isn't yet on Durant's level is easy to understand given that Giannis has yet to get the job done on the biggest stage.

Giannis is primarily known as a regular-season performer who doesn't live up to expectations come playoff time, and that has been the case during the series against Brooklyn thus far.

The whispers regarding Giannis' playoff failures will grow even louder if he falls to Durant and the Nets, but it is clear that KD is doing everything possible to steer clear of controversy and avoid giving Giannis any bulletin-board material.