Stephen A. Smith Stands His Ground Amid Backlash Over ‘Racist’ Lakers’ ‘White Dude Central’ Take

Stephen A. Smith doubled down on his controversial comments questioning whether the Lakers can win a championship with three white players.

Stephen A. Smith Stands His Ground Amid Backlash Over ‘Racist’ Lakers’ ‘White Dude Central’ Take

Stephen A. Smith (Image credits - Firstsportz)

Stephen A. Smith is one of the biggest names in the sports media world. The journalist has made a name for himself for his bold takes over the years.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the most active teams in the trade market so far in the offseason. They have made a number of changes to their roster with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves leading the way.

Smith drew attention when he questioned the Lakers’ approach with three white players leading the team. The renowned journalist made it clear he was not backing down from his basketball argument.

What I said, and I’m going to reiterate this again, is when have we seen a team with three of its top players who happen to be white delivering a championship? Can we talk basketball? Because that’s what I’m talking about. I’m talking basketball.

Stephen A. Smith on The Straight Shooter

Stephen A. Smith has a powerful voice in the sports industry. He has often clashed with players over some of his wild takes. Jaylen Brown went as far as to label him as “unethical”. After the New York Knicks won the championship this year, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart forced Smith to apologize in public for being doubtful about them in the past despite being an avid Knicks fan.

His latest statements about the Lakers having “three top players” who are white caught attention across social media. He questioned their approach, as there has never been a team that has won a championship with three white players leading the way. However, it looks like Smith is doubling down on his comments and believes he has no reason to take them back.

Jeff Teague on Stephen A. Smith‘s comments

Stephen A. Smith’s criticism of the Lakers’ three top players being white did not take long to generate reactions across the NBA world. He received criticism for the way he framed the topic, and many even questioned him on his racist commentary.

Former NBA champion Jeff Teague reacted to Smith’s comments on the Lakers’ approach.

You wildin’, n****s would have been tight if they would have been like how are you going to win in soccer with 5 black guys on the field, n****s would have been tight. How are you going to win with a black quarterback? It would have went crazy.

Jeff Teague on Club 520 podcast

Teague praised Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as top players. He ranked Doncic as a top-five player in the league and Reaves as a top-30 player. He did not agree with Smith’s comments and deemed them as outrageous.

The Lakers enter a new era without LeBron James

When LeBron James joined the Lakers in 2018, it was the marking of a new era in the franchise since the retirement of Kobe Bryant. After spending eight years in the club and delivering them a championship in 2020, it was announced that James would leave the Lakers and become an unrestricted free agent once again.

Since the arrival of Luka Doncic at the trade deadline last year, the Lakers have given the Slovenian the keys to lead the franchise. He became the focal point of the team as the front office built its roster around him in preparation for life after James.

Luka Doncic and LeBron James' chemistry has grown
Luka Doncic and LeBron James (Image via DraftKings/X)

The Lakers have made a number of changes already. They are coming off a Western Conference Semifinals finish in the playoffs this year. With Doncic out injured for the entire playoffs, a 41-year-old James had to lead the team in the postseason.

While Doncic was the best player on the team, there was no doubt that James was their leader. But with James gone, it looks like Doncic will have to take up a bigger role as the leader.

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