Kings Reporters Caught on Hot Mic Calling Ben Simmons “Cringe” and Zach LaVine a “Prick”

At the Sacramento Kings' media day, some journalists reportedly made disparaging comments about players Ben Simmons and Zach LaVine while believing they were still on mute. The audio was inadvertently broadcasted during a KCRA livestream, capturing unflattering remarks directed at the athletes. One voice in the clip was identified as Sara Hodges, a former sports broadcaster for KOVR who now anchors at KGO of San Francisco.

Hodges is alleged to have called Simmons "cringe" but praised his clear skin, while another commented that he was "lucky he's so fine." Regarding LaVine, one person described him as "hella fine," while another disagreed, saying, "Zach's cute. His personality (expletive) annoys me. He just seems like hella like a prick." The journalists, unaware their microphones were still live, made the offensive comments.

KCRA had to halt and cancel the stream after the mistake was discovered, and they subsequently deleted their backup stream as well. However, ClutchPoints maintains that the video does not clearly identify all the individuals involved, and LaVine has not yet commented on the matter. The incident has drawn criticism from fans, with some wondering if the NBA will investigate the incident.

The situation has also prompted comparisons to a similar case involving Toronto Raptors reporters last season who faced backlash for criticizing Scottie Barnes in a leaked audio recording.