In 2020, shortly after the death of Kobe Bryant, King received social media criticism for a "CBS This Morning" interview with former WNBA player Lisa Leslie, in which King brought up Bryant's sexual assault allegations from 2003. Rapper Snoop Dogg was among those who criticized King, though he later apologized. She received support, particularly from long-time friend Oprah Winfrey. King said CBS had used an out-of-context excerpt from the interview. The network said in a statement that the excerpt was not reflective of the "thoughtful, wide-ranging interview" King had conducted with Leslie.