Former NBA Player Says Lakers Can't Win With 'Four White Boys' On The Court

Former NBA player Kenyon Martin wouldn't believe in the Los Angeles Lakers even if they are healthy. According to Martin, he cannot get behind a team with this many "white boys."

"You ain't going to beat nobody playing four white boys," Martin said. "I want to know what team has been successful with that many white boys on one roster."

Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jake LaRavia, and Luke Kennard are the four players Martin references. Doncic and Reaves, both expected to miss at least the start of the first round of the playoffs, are the team’s two leading scorers. LeBron James is third. Doncic leads the NBA in scoring at 33.5 points per game.

Not bad for a white boy.

Austin Reaves #15 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on March 27, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

Because Martin is black and is belittling white players, his comments are unlikely to draw much backlash. Heck, the likes of now-former ESPN broadcaster Mark Jones will probably share his clip in support. Racial double standards in America are real. 

Still, Martin’s remarks are plainly racist, built on the premise that white players cannot succeed at a high level.

That view appears fairly common among some players. In 2023, Kendrick Perkins suggested that Nikola Jokic benefited from voter bias in MVP races. During Caitlin Clark’s rookie WNBA season, the player argued her popularity was driven by her being white. That narrative was also discussed on ESPN by commentators like Monica McNutt.

It is true that white players have not historically dominated basketball. But the current era looks different.

Jokic is widely considered the best player in the world. Doncic is among the top five. Clark is on pace to become one of the greatest players in women’s basketball. Rookie Cooper Flagg is one of the most promising young prospects in the game.

And, let's be honest, the "four white boys" on the Lakers are all better than Martin ever was.

That must really sting