"Gotta Get Some Dark-skinned Dudes": Former NBA Champ Makes Eyebrow-Raising Hawks Statement

Jeff Teague made some controversial comments about the Atlanta Hawks' current roster on Tuesday's episode of the "Club 520 Podcast." Atlanta (1-3), which is on a two-game losing skid, has had a terrible start to the 2025-26 NBA season.

Teague, who started his career with the Hawks and is a big fan of the team, expressed his disappointment, saying that the Hawks needed some gritty players.

"We gotta get some dark-skinned dudes," Teague said.

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Jeff Teague believes the Hawks need more “dark skinned” players to turn things around “We gotta get some dark skinned dudes… It’s not about being racist, we need somebody with some Grit, anger or something.” (Via @club520podcast, h/t @NBA__Courtside)https://t.co/pF5inPlIDk

The podcast's panel cracked up in laughter as soon as they heard Teague's comment. One of the co-hosts of the former NBA champion jokingly said that Teague was on the all-racism first team.

"It’s not about being racist," Teague said. "We need somebody with some grit, anger or something."

Atlanta does need some strong defenders. It has not suffered more than a 20-point defeat in its four games, proving that its offense is capable of standing beside the rest of the league.

However, it has few options on the bench when it comes to players who excel in locking down other players, blocking shots or applying pressure on the ball.

Unless the Hawks' front office makes some moves before the trade deadline, the team could experience another lackluster season, where it fails to make the playoffs.

"We got a lot of finesse players": Jeff Teague elaborates on Hawks' roster problems

After all the laughs and jokes, Jeff Teague laid out his thoughts on the type of players the Hawks need to get to improve their season. He said that the roster was filled with players who had finesse but lacked aggression.

"I swear to god, we need (Detroit Pistons forward) Isaiah Stewart, and we need one wing that just, like, a little more aggressive," Teague said (Timestamp: 10:01:48). "We got a lot of finesse players. Like, (Kristaps) Porzingis is a finesse player, Zach (Risacher) is a finesse player, Jalen Johnson is a finesse player.

"We just don't got nobody who's kind of like a grit, grind me. I even like a Marcus Smart-type of player. Like, somebody who might foul somebody for real."

The NBA trade deadline for the 2025-26 season closes on 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 5, 2026.

Atlanta will face the Brooklyn Nets as their next opponent on Wednesday.