Lakers' Race Controversy
Stephen A. Smith criticizes Lakers' new 'white core,' sparking debate on race and NBA talent
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Key Points
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Beyond the controversy, public reaction included playful group-chat framing and online nicknames such as 'Snowtime Lakers,' 'Tres Leches,' and 'Snowtown,' underscoring how the whiteness angle captured the social media spotlight.
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The discussion highlighted the Lakers trio as an outlier in a league that is predominantly Black, with roughly 70%–78% of players Black and about 17%–19% White, plus a note that the PGA Tour is around 80% White, framing the debate in broader race-generalization terms.
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Former Laker Markieff Morris weighed in on the on-court issue, arguing the bigger obstacle is toughness—suggesting the team could use “a few dogs” to balance the lineup rather than focusing on race alone.
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Dončić’s and Reaves’ established status adds context to the roster shift: Dončić is a six-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion, while Reaves earned his first All-Star selection last year, underscoring the high-level talent around which the Lakers are retooling.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith set off a firestorm on July 1, 2026, after declaring that the Los Angeles Lakers cannot win a championship with
The remarks came hours after the Lakers completed a massive roster overhaul. They signed guard Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million extension and acquired center Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz on a four-year, $130 million deal, per Fox Sports. The moves, coming just after LeBron James announced his departure, cemented Dončić, Reaves, and Kessler as the team's new
Smith's "Three White Dudes" Comment Goes Viral
Smith delivered his monologue on his SiriusXM and ESPN platforms on the afternoon of July 1. "Where the hell the Los Angeles Lakers think they gone with a bunch of white dudes?" he said, according to Mediaite. "This ain't golf, this ain't baseball, hell, it ain't even soccer. This is basketball." He called Reaves
The comments spread fast on social media. Fans coined nicknames including "Snowtime Lakers," "Tres Leches," "Snowtown," and "Los Anglo Saxons" to mock the team's demographic makeup, per BlackSportsOnline. Smith doubled down on his show, holding firm that the demographic shift around the team was a legitimate basketball concern.
Why the Lakers Built This Core Around Dončić
The roster reset was years in the making. On February 8, 2025, the Lakers sent Anthony Davis to Dallas in exchange for Dončić, a deal widely called "the most lopsided trade in NBA history." The Dončić-Davis pairing failed to advance past the second round in 2025-26. General Manager Rob Pelinka then promised Dončić a defensive anchor in the summer of 2026, per Lakers Daily.
Kessler was that answer. He averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds last season, making him an elite rim protector, according to SportsGrid. His pick-and-roll fit with Dončić mirrors the system the Mavericks used in their 2024 Finals run. Dončić himself is a six-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion. Reaves earned his first All-Star nod last year.
Markieff Morris Says the Real Problem Is Toughness
Not everyone framed the debate in racial terms. Former Laker Markieff Morris, who arrived in Los Angeles as part of the original Dončić trade, pushed back on Smith's angle. The real issue, he argued, is mentality. The Lakers need "dogs" and "pitbulls" on the floor to replace the toughness LeBron brought, per 247 Sports.
The front office has tried to address that gap. The Lakers signed guards Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes to add athletic defenders alongside the new core, per Respect My Region. Critics of Smith, including writers at Fox News, argued his comments represented a double standard that would not be accepted if the races were reversed.
A Rare White-Led Core in a Majority-Black League
The broader debate touches on real numbers. About 70% to 78% of NBA players are Black, while roughly 17% to 19% are white. Smith's "this ain't golf" line referenced the PGA Tour, which is about 80% white. A white-led trio at the top of an NBA franchise is a genuine statistical outlier, per BroBible.
The Lakers have committed over $315 million in new contracts to Reaves and Kessler alone, on top of Dončić's supermax deal. That financial commitment leaves almost no room for error. If the new core succeeds, it could shift how teams think about building around global stars — regardless of where they come from.
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