Stephen A. Smith Doubles Down on Lakers' 3 White Stars, Says Criticism 'Had to Be Said'

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 2

Stephen A. Smith said Thursday he is "not backing down" from remarks that the Lakers cannot win with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler as three White top players.
Wednesday's comments on his podcast mocked Los Angeles for having a "bunch of White dudes," with Smith arguing NBA champions need "Black brothers" to help "White dudes" win.
The backlash grew after clips spread online, but Smith defended the take again in a new video, calling it "just facts" and saying the point "had to be said."
The episode has intensified scrutiny of how ESPN handles racially charged commentary from one of its most prominent on-air personalities.

Sources

Given past ratings failures, why does ESPN still gamble on racially charged sports commentary from its top personalities?

Does Stephen A. Smith’s argument ignore history, or has the formula for an NBA championship fundamentally changed?

As the NBA becomes more global, is focusing on the race of American players an outdated and manufactured media controversy?