"Ninety percent of you all didn't even pick basketball": Jay Williams hits back at critics over Caitlin Clark remarks

ESPN College Gameday host and former Duke basketball standout Jay Williams remains in the "firing line" of criticisms and insults.

That happened after he stopped short of calling Iowa Hawkeyes superstar and NCAA women's all-time leading scorer Caitlin Clark "great."

Responding to the criticisms he received for his statement, Williams reiterated his definition of greatness.

He tweeted a video, saying that 90% of the people who criticized him are courageous on the "keyboard" and have never played basketball.

"It’s just hoopers. Now, the comment of great, (Angel Reese and Clark) are both great, OK? We were talking about levels of greatness and immortality and in the pantheon of greatness, there are levels to greatness," Williams said in a video on social media.

“You think about differently? Fine. But the only thing I’m gonna say is to all you keyboard courageous people that wanna call me a bum or try to make fun of my career, none of y’all could hold me. None of y’all. Ninety percent of y’all didn’t even pick up a basketball."

He asked them to stop insinuating that he's "race baiting" Clark.

“Please stop with all this race baiting sh*t. Please. Ain’t nobody out here trying to do that. It’s just hoopers," Williams said.

Head coach Mark Few (left) of the Gonzaga Bulldogs is interviewed by ESPN's Jay Williams

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Social media reacts to Jay Williams' latest comments

Drive Basketball Inc. founder Pasha Bains echoed the sentiments of the former Duke basketball star and No. 2 NBA draft pick, saying that no one should question how Williams played the game.

However, one user pointed to the difference between where Williams played college ball and Clark does.

He noted that the 2000-01 Duke team that won the NCAA championship and Clark's Iowa are miles apart in terms of overall team strength.

X users gave their take on how the 2002 Naismith and Wooden Award winner played the game in college and professional ranks before a motorcycle accident in June 2003 forced him to hang up his sneakers.

Other users even urged Williams to stop measuring greatness on just team championships won. They said that other players are also great due to their talent.

One user hailed Williams for "speaking the truth" and stomping out race baiters.

The debate about whether Clark deserves to be called "great" without winning a title continues,

Iowa is still in contention for the 2023-24 NCAA women's basketball championship. So, there are still a few weeks left for Clark to disprove Jay Williams' comment and win a championship.