It’s safe to assume the wife of Sacramento Kings star Zach LaVine heard what reporters were saying about her husband at Monday’s media day.
‘A great start to the season!’ Hunter LaVine wrote on Instagram – one of many social media platforms that helped the unfortunate hot-mic moment go viral this week.
Although no one is pictured in the footage, the clip contains voices from at least three yet-to-be-identified individuals, including two women and a man, who remain unaware they’re being broadcast on several live feeds.
And the discussion could hardly be considered safe for a work environment. LaVine was said to be a ‘hell of a p****, while his new teammate Ben Simmons was described as ‘fine’ but ‘cringe.’
‘Ben Simmons,’ one woman began, ‘cringe, cringe, he’s lucky he’s fine.’
‘He’s a good-looking dude,’ another reporter agreed. ‘I didn’t notice his skin is so smooth. I was like, ‘damn, no tattoos?”
Zach LaVine seems like a ‘hell of a p****,’ according to media assembled around a hot mic
Zach and Hunter LaVine are seen with their three children back on Christmas Day 2025
The man’s voice then interjected, suggesting New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole was ‘more [her] type’ before mentioning LaVine, a two-time All-Star and former UCLA Bruins guard who led the 22-60 Kings in scoring last season.
‘Zach’s cute, but his personality f***ing annoys me,’ a reporter said. ‘He just seems like he’s hella like a p****.’
Hunter had a response for that too: ‘I love my husband’s personality.’
The unidentified man in the viral clip described LaVine – a former star at the University of California, Los Angeles – as a ‘f***ing typical UCLA guy’ while a woman noted she finds Simmons more attractive than LaVine.
The players have not responded to the commentary and the reporters in question have not been identified, although they did offer some potential clues to their identity.
Zach LaVine and his wife Hunter met years ago before ultimately getting married in 2021
Whoever described LaVine as ‘hella like a p****’ is almost certainly a local reporter, given the vernacular. The slang ‘hella’ originally emerged from the Bay Area in the 1970s, but has since been adopted by younger generations throughout the state of California without gaining nationwide acceptance.
Kings spokespeople did not respond to The Daily Mail’s request for comment.
Press conferences always come with the inherent danger of hot microphones, some of which can be connected to a live internet or cable feed.
Just a year ago, Toronto Raptors reporters were caught discussing team star Scottie Barnes over a hot mic. The audio was later published online and shared by Barnes with the caption: ‘Be chatting lol.’
One particularly regrettable comment referred to another Raptors player as ‘so dumb.’
More famously, in 2000, Republican presidential and vice-presidential candidates George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were heard disparaging a New York Times reporter over a hot mic.
First-year Kings forward Ben Simmons is ‘fine’ but ‘cringe,’ according to local media
Monday’s hot-mic was probably not the welcome the 30-year-old Simmons was hoping for after his sabbatical away from the NBA last season. The three-time All-Star’s career had been hamstrung by his notorious shooting woes and growing health concerns in recent years, but on Monday, he wholeheartedly disputed the claim he took a year off because he doesn’t love the game.
‘All these people talk about me not loving the game,’ he began, ‘that’s bulls***. People just want to get their podcast off. I love the game. That’s why I took a year off to focus on myself and get back to where I’m at. Now the old Ben has woken up. I want to dominate every time I step on the floor.’
The Kings return a very similar roster to the one that struggled under head coach Doug Christie last season. Outside of Simmons, who may not even crack Christie’s rotation, the biggest addition came through the draft in former Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr.
PART ONE: Every ugly detail of Tom and Gisele’s marriage… the secret letter stashed in a drawer… and her savage last three words
PART TWO: Why Tom Brady’s college teammates were convinced he was gay… until one uninhibited night proved the truth: Secrets from his years before fame – and existential crisis that drove him to the brink
