Stephen A. Smith lit the fuse with his Lakers rant, and Big Vito LoGrasso just fired back with both barrels.
The former WWE and WCW star jumped into the conversation after Stephen A. questioned where the Los Angeles Lakers think they’re going with Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler as a top trio. Smith didn’t just question the fit. He made it about race, calling the Lakers “White Dude Central” and saying they weren’t winning anything big with three white players leading the way. On The Stephen A. Smith Show, Smith made it clear he wasn’t sold on the new-look Lakers.
“Where the hell do the Los Angeles Lakers think they’re going with a bunch of white dudes. Your three top players are white dudes? Really? This ain’t golf. This ain’t baseball. Hell, it ain’t even soccer. What you all think this is? Basketball.”
Smith kept going, saying NBA history doesn’t exactly point to that kind of core carrying a team to the promised land.
“In NBA history, when have you seen your three most prominent players on a basketball team all be white. And that takes you to the promised land. Somebody got to say it so I’m saying it.”
Then Smith tried to soften it a little by giving Luka and Reaves their props, but he still buried the Lakers’ ceiling with that group.
“This is basketball. I’m not complaining. I’m simply making the point. The Los Angeles Lakers, you ain’t going anywhere, being led by three white dudes in today’s generation of basketball. I’m letting you know right now it ain’t happening. And Luka’s a bad brother. And Austin Reaves is no scrub. And they both have earned what they have earned. And then with LeBron James or some other brothers, I get. But those two and Walker Kessler? You ain’t scaring anybody with that. And Rob Pelinka has done made this white dude central. No wonder LeBron James walked out the door.”
Big Vito heard all that and wanted no part of it. Vito, who said basketball was his first love before wrestling, took to Twitter and made it clear that the game he grew up loving didn’t care about skin color. It cared about one thing: whether you could play.
“As a guy whose first love was basketball, I have to say this.
When I was growing up, it never mattered what color you were. If you could play, you were accepted in any neighborhood. The game was the equalizer. I played against some incredible players, and a few of them went on to become professionals. Respect was earned by your work ethic and what you did on the court.”
Then Vito went right at the heart of Smith’s comment. He said hearing someone say a team can’t win with “three white dudes” was flat-out disappointing, and he called out what he sees as an obvious double standard.
“That’s why hearing someone say, “You can’t win with three white dudes,” is disappointing. If that statement were made about any other race, there would be no debate about how wrong it is.”
Vito wasn’t buying the idea that a team’s title hopes should be judged by the color of the players carrying the load. To him, that’s lazy talk. The game is about skill, sacrifice, and who shows up when it matters.
“Basketball has always been about talent, teamwork, sacrifice, and heart not skin color.”
He also brought up the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1980s, pointing to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Danny Ainge as proof that white players have already been key pieces on championship teams.
“The Boston Celtics won two NBA championships with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Danny Ainge as key members of the team. Great players come in every color.”
Vito also made it clear he doesn’t have an issue with strong basketball opinions. He praised Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith for breaking down the game with actual hoops knowledge instead of turning the discussion into something divisive.
“I also appreciate analysts like Shaq, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith. They teach the game, respect the game, and break it down based on basketball knowledge and experience.”
Then Big Vito brought the whole thing back to respect. His message was simple: sports should bring people together, not turn every roster into a racial argument. Vito closed his message by saying that’s the basketball he grew up loving, and that’s still the version of the game he believes in.
“The world today needs more brotherhood and less division. On my platform, that’s the message I’m standing behind. In my eyes, sports have no color. If you’re an athlete, you put in the work to become the best, and that’s what deserves respect.”
“That’s the game I grew up loving, and that’s the game I still believe in.
The Don Big Vito LoGrasso”
Stephen A. Smith gets paid to say loud things, and nobody is pretending otherwise. But Big Vito clearly thinks this one went past hot take territory and straight into cheap-shot land. In his eyes, if you can hoop, you can hoop. The scoreboard doesn’t ask what color you are before the final buzzer.
What do you think about Big Vito LoGrasso calling out Stephen A. Smith over his Lakers comments? Was Vito right to push back, or was Stephen A. just saying what others are afraid to say? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know.
