The Sacramento Kings hosted an official media day on Monday and the big takeaways for at least a few reporters in attendance were that Ben Simmons and Zach LaVine are both “cringe” individuals, but also “hella fine.”
A number of local affiliates livestreamed the Kings’ media availability on Monday, but it was NBC’s KCRA that captured a hot-mic moment that has taken over social media.
Instead of the live stream being cut, or at the very least muted between players talking to reporters, KCRA’s rolled on, and two female reporters in attendance were caught making quite the admissions about LaVine and Simmons.
Zach LaVine #8 of the Sacramento Kings looks on against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center on February 06, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS OVER NEW BROADCASTING GUIDELINES THAT DISCOURAGE ‘SEXUALIZED’ SHOTS OF FEMALE ATHLETES
As one of the reporters explained that she was working on transcribing Simmons’ earlier interview, she was heard saying he was “cringe cringe,” before another woman responded, “you lucky you so fine.”
“He’s a good-looking dude,” the first reporter said before the second agreed by stating, “hella fine.”
“I didn’t notice, his skin is like so smooth,” the first reporter continued. “I was like, ‘damn, no tattoos?”
The attention later turned from Simmons to LaVine when a male reporter asked, “What about Zach LaVine?” to which one of the females responded, saying he was “hella fine” as well.
The other female reporter made it clear that she wasn’t a fan of LaVine’s persona.
Zach LaVine #8 of the Sacramento Kings looks on against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second quarter at Golden 1 Center on February 06, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!
“I think his personality annoys the sh-t out of me,” she said. “Zach’s cute but his personality f–king annoys me. It just seems he’s like he’s hella like a prick.”
Ben Simmons #25 of the LA Clippers looks on during Round One, Game Four of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets on April 26, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California.(Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) (Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY OUTKICK NEWSLETTER
LaVine is entering what will be his third season in Sacramento after leading the Kings in scoring a year ago, averaging 19.2 points per game, but he managed to appear in only 39 games after suffering a hand injury that required season-ending surgery in February.
As for Simmons, he signed a one-year deal with the Kings in early September after going unsigned for the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season. He last played in an NBA game in April 2025 with the Los Angeles Clippers.