Ben Simmons: Hot Mic Exposes Kings Reporters' Chatter

A hot mic did more damage to Sacramento's media day than any question from the floor. Reporters gathered to hear from Ben Simmons about his fit with the Kings ended up broadcasting an unguarded conversation of their own, forgetting the microphones near them were still live.

"Ben Simmons is cringe, so cringe," one reporter said. "He's so lucky he's good-looking," another added. A third put it this way: "He's an attractive guy. He has such smooth skin, I was thinking, 'Wow, not a single tattoo.'"

A male reporter then joined in, asking a colleague whether New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole was her type, before steering the conversation to Kings forward Zach LaVine. "Damn good," she said of LaVine. Another reporter was less flattering: "Zach LaVine is cute, but his attitude annoys me. It feels like he's just a jerk." The male reporter offered his own read: "He's a typical UCLA guy. They're all like that there."

The talk drifted into ranking the players who had shown up for the Kings' media day. "I think I'd put Ben above Zach, because I don't like Zach. He's so smooth. I just want to ask: what lotion do you use?" one of the reporters said.

None of it was meant for broadcast, and none of it touched on what either player brings on court. If clips of the exchange keep circulating, the story of the day risks becoming the reporters rather than Simmons' first season in Sacramento.