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By TJ Macias
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Controversy was kicked up after a moment among Sacramento Kings reporters was picked up on a hot mic during the team’s media day on Monday, causing a perplexing domino effect of backlash across social media.
At least three media members could be heard during a now deleted KCRA News 3 livestream talking somewhat candidly about players Ben Simmons and Zach LaVine and referring to one as “cringe.”
“That’s what comes with being Ben Simmons,” one reporter is heard saying during the presser. “He’s cringe, cringe.”
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And it wasn’t in reference to his skills on the court.
“Lucky he’s so fine.”
Two more reporters can be heard jumping into the conversation.
“He’s a good-looking dude,” one said. “His skin is, like, so smooth, I was like damn, no tattoos?”
“I thought Jordan Poole was your type?” a third media member asks.
The three then go on to single out LaVine’s looks, and personality, as well. “I think his personality annoys the [expletive] annoys me. He just seems like hella like a prick. But he is beautiful.”
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The reporters have yet to be publicly identified, but that hasn’t stopped Kings social media from doing some investigating of their own and calling out the two female voices in the now viral footage. Some even went as far as to tag them in a reposted video of the stream on X, turning the moment into a sexist debate.
“A lot of you all have not been around women and it shows,” one user commented.
“Imagine if this was guys talking about girls this would be front page,” another chimed in.
Problematic hot mic moments seem to be a common human error for those in a public field like sports -- or politics.
After the Toronto Raptors’ 2025 season, audio circulated of reporters bashing players Scottie Barnes and Jonathan Mogbo during a media presser.
“When I first interviewed Mogbo when he was drafted, I was shocked cause he was so dumb,” a person can be heard saying.
Fans called out reporters they assumed were the voices in the clip, leading to harassing backlash of famous media members, including Sports Illustrated reporter Aaron Rose, who demanded the harassment stop.
“So, enough with all this hate. Stop attacking me, it simply isn’t true,” he said in a TikTok video.
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