Sacramento Kings star guards Ben Simmons and Zach LaVine became the subject of an awkward off-camera conversation among reporters during the team's media day.
Several outlets livestreamed Monday's event, including Sacramento NBC affiliate KCRA. While the broadcast featured interviews with Kings players, microphones in the room also picked up a conversation among media members that focused on Simmons and LaVine.
When one reporter asked who had been speaking at the podium, another identified Simmons before describing his presentation as “cringe.” A different reporter then said Simmons was “lucky he’s so fine,” while another complimented his appearance and smooth skin.
The conversation later shifted to LaVine after a reporter asked how he compared. One media member called the Kings guard “hella fine,” but immediately criticized his personality. Another reporter similarly said LaVine was attractive while describing his personality negatively.
Ar one point, the reporters joked about creating a ranking based on the attractiveness of Sacramento's roster. One reporter said she would place Simmons ahead of LaVine, partly because she believed Simmons looked considerably younger.
Article Continues BelowSome members of the Kings' media were caught on a hot mic talking about several players on the team at Media Day:
"Ben Simmons… Cringe, cringe, he's lucky he's fine… Zach's [LaVine] cute, but his personality fu*king annoys me. It just seems like he's hell of like a prick."…
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 28, 2026
Simmons, who did not play during the 2025-26 NBA season, joined the Kings earlier this month on a one-year, $3.5 million contract. LaVine, meanwhile, exercised his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season with Sacramento in June.
The KCRA livestream was reportedly stopped after someone apparently realized the microphones were picking up unintended conversations. The original stream was reportedly deleted and replaced with another livestream, which was also subsequently deleted.
The identities of the reporters involved have not been revealed.

