Lakers' New White Roster Is Getting Clowned On Social Media
Stephen A. Smith Sounds off On The Los Angeles Lakers’ Melanin-Deficient Big Three - Page 3
Stephen A. Smith took some time away from sharing god-awful political takes to speak about the Lakers' very white roster, and he didn't hold back.
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Tron Snow
Published on
July 2, 2026
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Stephen A. Smith took some time away from sharing god-awful political takes to speak about the Lakers' very white roster, and he didn't hold back.
Getty Images / Stephen A. Smith / Luka Dončić / Austin Reaves / Walker Kessler
The Los Angeles Lakers are prepping for a future without LeBron James, and with Luka Dončić leading the way, and it looks very white, and Stephen A. Smith is not feeling it.
NBA free agency has not disappointed with players bouncing all over the league and collecting bags, but as we sit and wait to learn where LeBron James will take his talents for his 24th season, his former squad, the Lakers, will be doing their best impression of the Utah Jazz. By that, we mean putting out a product on the court that lacks melanin.
After James, through his agent Rich Paul, informed the Lake Show not even to bother pursuing him, the team doubled down on bringing back Austin Reaves, rewarding him with a $185 million max contract, and then trading for Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler, and then signing him to a four-year, $130 million deal.
The Lakers’ recent roster moves set up a much different look for a team that is best known for having players like Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading them.
Stephen A. Smith & The Internet React To The “Snowtime Lakers”
Stephen A. Smith took some time away from sharing god-awful political takes to speak about the Lakers’ very white roster, and he didn’t hold back.
“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?”
Smith wasn’t alone in that sentiment. His former co-worker at ESPN, Bomani Jones, had something to say about the Lakers’ new look, writing on his X (formerly Twitter), “ain’t been this white since they left Minneapolis,” referencing the franchise’s George Mikan days, and continued with, “if lakers-celtics became a nationwide thing again, me and the homies wouldn’t know who to root for.”
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