ESPN's Jay Williams says 'cancel culture' may be reason for the NBA's drought of American MVPs

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the seventh straight international player to win the NBA’s MVP award on Wednesday.

James Harden was the last American to win the MVP, when he did it with the Houston Rockets in 2017-2018. Jay Williams, former Duke star and current ESPN analyst, asked if cancel culture is the reason why there hasn’t been an American MVP recently. 

"People aren’t gonna like it, but I really don’t care. How much of this do you think this is cancel culture in the political aspects of where we were, compared to where we’re going?" Williams said during ESPN’s "First Take."

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ESPN College GameDay host Jay Williams smiles during their broadcast ahead of the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 1, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina. (Lance King/Getty Images)

"I hear a lot of coaches talk about they don’t feel like they can coach young kids anymore. 'Cause anything they say could get used against them or get twisted if caught the wrong way."

Williams implored coaches to coach young players hard and to give them accountability.

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The ESPN College GameDay crew (L-R) Rece Davis, Andeaya Carter, Jay Williams, and Seth Greenberg broadcast ahead of the game between the Iowa State Cyclone and TCU Horned Frogs at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 8, 2025 in Ames, Iowa. (IMAGN)

"The level of sensitivity has gotten out of control," Williams said of today’s basketball players.

 "‘Oh, he said something bad to me, I can’t play for him!’ When a coach yells at you, and I know there are certain things coaches can’t say anymore, but please, keep coaching those young kids hard! Let them face some d--- adversity. Give them some accountability. And just because a coach is yelling at you, that actually means that he cares."

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ESPN College GameDay crew Jay Williams talks during ESPN's College GameDay show ahead of the game between the Iowa State Cyclone and TCU Horned Frogs at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 8, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. (IMAGN)

The top three finalists for the MVP were all international. Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada won, while Serbian native Nikola Jokic finished second, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, aptly nicknamed the "Greek Freak," finished third. 

Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum was the highest American finisher, in fourth place. 

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