Richard Jefferson makes controversial Taylor Swift claim as Britney Spears calls out former beau

Richard Jefferson is one of the more interesting NBA personalities, being a former player and now one of the hosts of ESPN's "NBA Today." Additionally, Jefferson has also been known for some of his hot takes on sports topics which he publicly talks about on live television and social media.

Recently, Jefferson reacted to an article from The Variety's Zack Sharf, which talked about how Britney Spears felt that Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" song ruined her image as an artist.

"Taylor Swift has a whole catalogue of break up songs," Jefferson said. "Cry me a river is a banger though."

The Variety article looked at how Britney Spears' name was thrown in the mud following the release of Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" music video. At the time, Justin Timberlake was one of the most prominent pop artists alongside Britney Spears.

In the music video, Timberlake sang about an unfaithful girlfriend, in which he used a lookalike of the pop icon singer, further solidifying the cheating rumors surrounding Spears.

The former 2016 NBA champion's comments can be seen as controversial as he made the comparison to the subject matter that Taylor Swift uses in her songs. The famous singer has been known to write songs about her past relationships in life and describes each one as a different journey.

However, Swift's songs have been received differently by many as she is known to be in relationships with celebrities. One of the more controversial aspects is that other male artists do the same thing in their songs, but without the public repercussions that Swift receives.

When it comes to artistry or songwriting, an artist can craft songs based on their experiences. However, the reception to Taylor Swift can be seen as a double standard, as per a Study Breaks Magazine article by Brittany Sims.

The fact remains that Swift isn't doing anything different from other singers who have sung their hearts out over a past lover.

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Before Richard Jefferson's comments, Britney Spears provided an interesting perspective on 'Cry Me a River'

Former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson may find Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" song a "banger," but one can't deny what Britney Spears went through when the music video first dropped.

In the same article by The Variety's Zack Sharf, Spears shed some light on her abortion back when she was still in a relationship with Timberlake.

"He said we weren't ready to have a baby in our lives," Spears said. "That we were way too young. It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn't a tragedy.

"I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. If it had been up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn't want to be a father."

From Spears' comments, it took courage for her to go through with the abortion as she did love Timberlake. Additionally, she also confirmed her infidelity after finding out that Timberlake also cheated behind her back, as per Yahoo Entertainment's Jazmin Tolliver.

While Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" is seen as a "banger," the background behind this song is much more disheartening than an ear-popping tune.