ESPN's Stephen A. Smith criticized the Los Angeles Lakers on his podcast after the team's roster overhaul left it with an all-white trio of top players following the start of NBA free agency.
Since LeBron James's departure, the Lakers have signed free agent center Walker Kessler to join franchise centerpiece Luka Doncic and the recently extended Austin Reaves.
"I'm saying it," Smith said. "Your three best players are white dudes. This ain't golf. And we got a whole bunch of brothers on Team USA. This is basketball, what y'all think this is?"
A viral clip posted by NBA Courtside on July 1, 2026, captured Smith's remarks, which quickly circulated online.
Other reactions
Smith was not the only commentator to weigh in. Bomani Jones remarked that the Lakers "ain't been this white since they left Minneapolis," a reference to the franchise's original home from 1946 to 1961.
Jones added, "If Lakers-Celtics became a nationwide thing again, me and the homies wouldn't know who to root for."
On Thursday's episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast," The Ringer's Chris Ryan credited colleagues for coverage describing Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka as "Making The Lakers White Again." Fans also floated nicknames including the "Snowtime Lakers," a play on the old "Showtime Lakers" tag, and "Tres Leches."
League context
Over 70 percent of NBA players are Black, while fewer than 20 percent are white, making the Doncic-Reaves-Kessler core stand out. The Lakers also signed Georgian backup center Sandro Mamukelashvili, along with guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton.
