A behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of ESPN star Jay Williams — from meals with NBA powerhouse agents to battles with Stephen A. Smith

Meredith CashAug 20, 2020, 03:27 IST

Before the pandemic shut down the world, Jay Williams gave an Insider reporter and photographer behind-the-scenes access to a day in his life.Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Jay Williams has become one of ESPN's strongest, most dignified voices during an unprecedented moment for sports.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down, Williams gave an Insider reporter and photographer behind-the-scenes access to a day in his life.
From early-morning dog walks and on-air battles with Stephen A. Smith to meals with NBA powerhouse agents and meetings with CEOS, check out what a day in Williams' life was like.

Back in early March, Jay Williams met Insider's reporter and photographer at 5:30 a.m. near his home in Brooklyn.

Jay Williams (right) and Insider reporter Meredith Cash walk Williams' dog, Denzel Washington. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

He started his day by walking his dog, Denzel Washington, well before the sun rose over New York City.

Jay Williams walks his dog, Denzel Washington. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Before he left for work, Williams brought Denzel Washington back to his apartment and said goodbye to his wife, Nikki Bonacorsi, and his 2-year-old daughter, Amelia.

Jay Williams and his dog, Denzel Washington. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

He ordered a car and headed across the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan — and he was remarkably chipper for so early in the morning.

Jay Williams. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

And a few minutes later, we pulled up on ESPN's studio in the South Street Seaport, and Williams led us into the building at Pier 17.

Jay Williams arrives at the ESPN studio. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

As we walked into ESPN's office space, he exchanged friendly hellos with the security guard on duty.

Jay Williams arrives at the ESPN studio. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

After walking through the double glass doors, we found ourselves in the center of the office's main space. Williams walked past the desks of many of ESPN's on-screen personalities before draping his coat over his desk chair.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

After walking through the double glass doors, we found ourselves in the center of the office's main space. Williams walked past the desks of many of ESPN's on-screen personalities before draping his coat over his desk chair.

Then he walked into a glass-paned conference room where the "Get Up!" morning meeting was already underway.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

He sat at the head of the table between former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky and former New York Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

From left: Mike Tannenbaum, Jay Williams, and Dan Orlovsky. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

The table was full of ESPN's leading voices, including a still-sleepy Mike Greenberg.

Mike Greenberg (right) tries to wake up for an ESPN morning meeting. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Williams was still tired, too.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Greenberg facilitated a round-table discussion with Williams, Orlovsky, Tannenbaum, "Get Up!" co-anchor Laura Rutledge, NBA veteran Kendrick Perkins, and others.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

They went over the day's talking points...

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

... while Williams took diligent notes.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

As they began debating, Greeny reminded everyone to "save it for the show."

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

But Williams still got some good points in.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Williams and Perkins stayed behind after the meeting adjourned for a one-on-one discussion.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Once they finished, Williams headed to his desk to further prepare for the show.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

He did some research online.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

And took some time to chat more with his colleagues.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Coffee was a must.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

And then everyone headed to set.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Everyone got situated around the desk to kick off the show.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

And the crew checked all of the cameras.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

And soon, they were live.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Williams joined Greeny for every segment about the NBA.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

And the duo later stepped away from the desk for a trivia segment.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

When he wasn't in front of the cameras, he and Perkins stepped aside to get makeup touch-ups and take a breather.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

They also prepared for upcoming segments.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

So that they were ready to go at it once they were on air.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

"Zion's a new breed," Williams told Insider. "Everybody has the things that they focus on, and it's easy to become very myopic. But every morning, I'm aware of how people pitch him."

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

"Zion's a new breed," Williams told Insider. "Everybody has the things that they focus on, and it's easy to become very myopic. But every morning, I'm aware of how people pitch him."

Towards the end of the hour, the one and only Stephen A. Smith joined Williams, Perkins, and Greeny behind the desk.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

"I like challenging Stephen A. because I don't feel like a lot of people challenge him, and I do feel extremely confident in my knowledge," Williams said.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Before Williams wrapped "Get Up!," the "First Take" producers tapped Williams for a segment during the 10 o'clock hour.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

So after a brief break, he joined Smith, Max Kellerman, and Molly Qerim in the facility's other studio.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

No one told him in advance what topic he'd be debating with Stephen A. and Max.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

But it wasn't too surprising when it turned out to be a conversation about Kevin Durant and his longtime business partner, Rich Kleiman.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Williams has a close personal and professional relationship with Durant and Kleiman thanks to his involvement with Thirty Five Ventures and "The Boardroom."

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

In fact, once Williams was done on set, he set off for a meeting with Kleiman across town.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

They met at Soho House New York, a private members' club with locations across the world.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Though photography was not permitted inside the space, we sat in on their meeting.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Kleiman and Williams discussed "The Boardroom," preparing for this year's MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and the looming pandemic over breakfast.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

An hour later, they parted ways, and Williams was off to his next meeting with yet another power-player in the sports world.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

It was midday when we arrived at Monarch Business and Wealth Management, a family office providing business direction and services to celebrities and affluent individuals.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

It was midday when we arrived at Monarch Business and Wealth Management, a family office providing business direction and services to celebrities and affluent individuals.

Williams had recently signed on with the company as a client and had agreed to meet with Monarch's leadership about a potential sponsorship opportunity.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

He caught up on emails and phone calls before the meeting.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Monarch CEO Barry Klarberg — who is also an owner of both the New York Yankees and Major League Soccer's New York City FC — joined us.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

"It's rare you run into somebody like this with this type of talent, with the history that he went through," Klarberg said of Williams. "He's different. He's smart. He gets it."

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

"It's rare you run into somebody like this with this type of talent, with the history that he went through," Klarberg said of Williams. "He's different. He's smart. He gets it."

We then followed the duo to a networking meeting at the Barbarian headquarters, where we met Barbarian CEO Steven Moy and Yext Senior Director of Strategic Alliances Nikki Bonacorsi.

Courtesy of the Barbarian Group

We then followed the duo to a networking meeting at the Barbarian headquarters, where we met Barbarian CEO Steven Moy and Yext Senior Director of Strategic Alliances Nikki Bonacorsi.

Bonacorsi — who is married to Williams — said she "saw so much opportunity" in Williams from the moment she met her husband.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

"She's my why," Williams said of his wife.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Once he wrapped up his business meetings for the day, Williams brought us to The Cabin NYC, his not-so-secret hideaway in Alphabet City.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

He owns and operates the rustic bar-restaurant in the East Village with two of his best friends.

From left: Dresden "Dre" Baluyot, Joey Aponte, and Jay Williams. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

A long, fully-stocked bar lines the right side of the restaurant.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Bright blue upholstered seating paired with tables made from trees they cut down themselves sit flush against the opposite wall.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

There's a framed painting of Tupac Shakur as a fox...

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

... and another of The Notorious B.I.G. as a grizzly bear hanging on the walls.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

And there were seasonal decorations everywhere.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Williams, Baluyot, and Aponte reminisced about their glory days in New Jersey while telling me about the origins of The Cabin.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

But as afternoon turned to evening, we said our goodbyes so Williams could head back to Brooklyn to bathe his daughter and put her to sleep.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Now check out why Jay Williams is uniquely prepared to host his new ESPN show — "my whole life has led me to this moment":

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

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A behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of ESPN star Jay Williams — from meals with NBA powerhouse agents to battles with Stephen A. Smith

Back in early March, Jay Williams met Insider's reporter and photographer at 5:30 a.m. near his home in Brooklyn.

He started his day by walking his dog, Denzel Washington, well before the sun rose over New York City.

Before he left for work, Williams brought Denzel Washington back to his apartment and said goodbye to his wife, Nikki Bonacorsi, and his 2-year-old daughter, Amelia.

He ordered a car and headed across the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan — and he was remarkably chipper for so early in the morning.

And a few minutes later, we pulled up on ESPN's studio in the South Street Seaport, and Williams led us into the building at Pier 17.

As we walked into ESPN's office space, he exchanged friendly hellos with the security guard on duty.

After walking through the double glass doors, we found ourselves in the center of the office's main space. Williams walked past the desks of many of ESPN's on-screen personalities before draping his coat over his desk chair.

Then he walked into a glass-paned conference room where the "Get Up!" morning meeting was already underway.

He sat at the head of the table between former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky and former New York Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

The table was full of ESPN's leading voices, including a still-sleepy Mike Greenberg.

Williams was still tired, too.

Greenberg facilitated a round-table discussion with Williams, Orlovsky, Tannenbaum, "Get Up!" co-anchor Laura Rutledge, NBA veteran Kendrick Perkins, and others.

They went over the day's talking points...

... while Williams took diligent notes.

As they began debating, Greeny reminded everyone to "save it for the show."

But Williams still got some good points in.

Williams and Perkins stayed behind after the meeting adjourned for a one-on-one discussion.

Once they finished, Williams headed to his desk to further prepare for the show.

He did some research online.

And took some time to chat more with his colleagues.

Coffee was a must.

And then everyone headed to set.

Everyone got situated around the desk to kick off the show.

And the crew checked all of the cameras.

And soon, they were live.

Williams joined Greeny for every segment about the NBA.

And the duo later stepped away from the desk for a trivia segment.

When he wasn't in front of the cameras, he and Perkins stepped aside to get makeup touch-ups and take a breather.

They also prepared for upcoming segments.

So that they were ready to go at it once they were on air.

"Zion's a new breed," Williams told Insider. "Everybody has the things that they focus on, and it's easy to become very myopic. But every morning, I'm aware of how people pitch him."

Towards the end of the hour, the one and only Stephen A. Smith joined Williams, Perkins, and Greeny behind the desk.

"I like challenging Stephen A. because I don't feel like a lot of people challenge him, and I do feel extremely confident in my knowledge," Williams said.

Before Williams wrapped "Get Up!," the "First Take" producers tapped Williams for a segment during the 10 o'clock hour.

So after a brief break, he joined Smith, Max Kellerman, and Molly Qerim in the facility's other studio.

No one told him in advance what topic he'd be debating with Stephen A. and Max.

But it wasn't too surprising when it turned out to be a conversation about Kevin Durant and his longtime business partner, Rich Kleiman.

Williams has a close personal and professional relationship with Durant and Kleiman thanks to his involvement with Thirty Five Ventures and "The Boardroom."

In fact, once Williams was done on set, he set off for a meeting with Kleiman across town.

They met at Soho House New York, a private members' club with locations across the world.

Though photography was not permitted inside the space, we sat in on their meeting.

Kleiman and Williams discussed "The Boardroom," preparing for this year's MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and the looming pandemic over breakfast.

An hour later, they parted ways, and Williams was off to his next meeting with yet another power-player in the sports world.

It was midday when we arrived at Monarch Business and Wealth Management, a family office providing business direction and services to celebrities and affluent individuals.

Williams had recently signed on with the company as a client and had agreed to meet with Monarch's leadership about a potential sponsorship opportunity.

He caught up on emails and phone calls before the meeting.

Monarch CEO Barry Klarberg — who is also an owner of both the New York Yankees and Major League Soccer's New York City FC — joined us.

"It's rare you run into somebody like this with this type of talent, with the history that he went through," Klarberg said of Williams. "He's different. He's smart. He gets it."

We then followed the duo to a networking meeting at the Barbarian headquarters, where we met Barbarian CEO Steven Moy and Yext Senior Director of Strategic Alliances Nikki Bonacorsi.

Bonacorsi — who is married to Williams — said she "saw so much opportunity" in Williams from the moment she met her husband.

"She's my why," Williams said of his wife.

Once he wrapped up his business meetings for the day, Williams brought us to The Cabin NYC, his not-so-secret hideaway in Alphabet City.

He owns and operates the rustic bar-restaurant in the East Village with two of his best friends.

A long, fully-stocked bar lines the right side of the restaurant.

Bright blue upholstered seating paired with tables made from trees they cut down themselves sit flush against the opposite wall.

There's a framed painting of Tupac Shakur as a fox...

... and another of The Notorious B.I.G. as a grizzly bear hanging on the walls.

And there were seasonal decorations everywhere.

Williams, Baluyot, and Aponte reminisced about their glory days in New Jersey while telling me about the origins of The Cabin.

But as afternoon turned to evening, we said our goodbyes so Williams could head back to Brooklyn to bathe his daughter and put her to sleep.

Now check out why Jay Williams is uniquely prepared to host his new ESPN show — "my whole life has led me to this moment":