Stephen A. Smith’s controversial white Lakers comments explained

Former NBA players had different reactions

Smith wasn’t alone in questioning the Lakers’ roster.

Former No. 1 overall pick Kenyon Martin said on Gil’s Arena that he doesn’t believe a team built that way can contend.

“Y’all lose in the first round either way it goes,” Martin said. “You play four White boys, you ain’t gonna beat nobody. I want to know what team has been successful with that many on one roster.”

Bomani Jones also joked that the Lakers “ain’t been this white since they left Minneapolis,” referencing the franchise’s early years.

Not everyone agreed with Smith’s thinking.

Former NBA guard Jeff Teague criticized the comments on the Club 520 Podcast, arguing the reaction would’ve been very different if race had been discussed the other way around.

“You wildin’,” Teague said. “People would’ve been tight if they would’ve been like, ‘How are you gonna win in soccer with five Black guys on the field?’ Or, ‘How are you gonna win with a Black quarterback?’ It would’ve went crazy.”

Teague’s comments quickly gained traction online, with many fans echoing his belief that basketball conversations should focus on talent rather than race.

Smith later explained what he meant

As criticism mounted, Smith made it clear he wasn’t backing away from his original comments.

“What I said, and I’m going to reiterate this again, is when have we seen a team with three of its top players who happen to be White delivering a championship?” Smith said. “Can we talk basketball? Because that’s what I’m talking about.”

His clarification shifted the discussion.

Rather than saying White players cannot be stars, Smith argued he was simply pointing to the league’s history and questioning whether that type of roster construction has produced championships.

Whether fans accepted that explanation depended largely on how they interpreted his original remarks.

NBA history doesn’t offer a simple answer

The Lakers’ core certainly stands out.

For decades, Los Angeles has been led by stars such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James. A trio built around Doncic, Reaves and Kessler looks very different from those championship teams.

At the same time, history provides examples that challenge the idea that race determines success.

Nikola Jokic won back-to-back MVP awards before leading the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA championship and earning Finals MVP honors. Dirk Nowitzki carried the Dallas Mavericks to the 2011 title, while Larry Bird led the Boston Celtics to multiple championships during the 1980s.

Many fans also pointed to the 1986 Celtics, whose starting lineup featured Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge, USAToday reports.

Those examples aren’t identical to the Lakers’ current roster, but they illustrate why Smith’s comments became so controversial.

The Lakers still have basketball questions to answer

While race dominated the conversation, former Laker Markieff Morris focused on something else entirely.

Morris said he liked many of Los Angeles’ offseason additions but questioned whether the roster has enough toughness, saying the Lakers are “gonna be soft as hell” and that Doncic needs “a few dogs in that West.”

That may prove to be the bigger issue.

On paper, the Lakers have improved. Doncic remains one of the NBA’s elite offensive players. Reaves has become one of the league’s better secondary scorers and playmakers. Kessler gives Los Angeles the rim protection it has been searching for.

Whether that trio can compete for a championship will ultimately be decided on the court, not by the debate that followed the trade.

Smith’s comments ensured the Lakers’ offseason makeover became about far more than basketball. But once the season tips off, the discussion will shift back to wins, losses and whether Los Angeles built a roster capable of contending in a loaded Western Conference.