Ben Simmons Defends Zach LaVine After Kings Reporters Get Caught on Hot Mic

A Mic Left On, a Moment Gone Viral

The Sacramento Kings were among the NBA teams that held media day on Monday, and some reporters in attendance at Golden 1 Center went viral for all the wrong reasons. What was supposed to be a routine day of player interviews and season previews turned into one of the more embarrassing media moments in recent NBA memory — not because of anything a player said, but because of what reporters said when they thought no one was listening.

According to reports, the podium was empty as local beat reporters waited for the next player to arrive, unaware that their microphones were still live. That's when several reporters began talking among themselves about topics unrelated to the game. A number of local affiliates livestreamed the Kings' media availability, but it was NBC's KCRA that captured the hot-mic moment that took over social media.

What Was Said — and Who It Was About

In the clip, the reporters — two women and a man — discussed several of the Kings' star players, and it wasn't long before things got personal. It began when one of the beat reporters mentioned she was transcribing a Simmons interview in which he told her, "That's what comes with being Ben Simmons." That comment apparently rubbed her the wrong way. The reporters discussed Simmons, with one calling him "cringe" before another commented that he was attractive, saying, "He's lucky he's so fine."

One of the media members said that LaVine's "personality annoys me" and that he seems "hella like a prick." Another media member responded that LaVine is a "UCLA guy" and that "all of them are [pricks]." Someone off-camera reminded the group that their microphones were still live. Rather than stopping the conversation, the reporters laughed off the heads-up and carried on. The clip, posted to X, racked up around seven million views.

Simmons Fires Back — With a Smile

Simmons spoke with reporters at training camp on Thursday, and at one point during his availability, he was asked about his relationship with his new teammates. He went on to mention Kings guard Zach LaVine in particular. "Zach isn't a prick," Simmons joked, per James Ham of ESPN 1320 in Sacramento. It was a sharp, self-aware response — exactly the kind of moment that can help a player win over a locker room and a fan base simultaneously.

Simmons, 30, returned to the NBA after sitting out all of last season and managed to land a one-year deal with the Kings. He seems to be taking it all in stride. The Kings had signed Simmons to a one-year, $3.5 million deal in early September. Given his lengthy absence and the scrutiny that has followed him throughout his career, handling an awkward situation with humor rather than hostility says something about where his head is at heading into the new season.

A Bigger Problem for Sports Media

The specific reporters were never officially named or publicly sanctioned by their respective media outlets or the team. It will be interesting to see if the NBA investigates the Kings reporters and if there is any action taken against them. The incident came during a Kings media day as the team prepares for the 2026-27 season after finishing 22-60 last season. For a franchise already navigating a tough rebuild, the last thing it needed was a PR distraction before a single game had been played.

This isn't an isolated incident, either. Last season, Raptors reporters landed in hot water after leaked audio caught them talking about Scottie Barnes. Now, Sacramento has its own hot-mic problem. The recurring nature of these incidents raises a real question about the standards of professionalism in sports media — and whether the growing presence of live-streaming technology is simply exposing behavior that has always existed behind closed doors. For Simmons, at least, the scandal gave him an unexpectedly perfect opportunity to show he can laugh at himself. That alone might be the best press he's gotten in years.