After spending nine seasons with the Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart knows how intense their rivalry is with the Los Angeles Lakers. Accordingly, he’s not expecting any mercy from the fans of his former team after signing with the Lakers this summer.
“I’m expecting a lot of boos. I’m expecting a lot of hate. And it’s okay, I understand it,” Smart said during his introductory press conference on Tuesday.
Smart was drafted by the Celtics in 2014 and spent the first nine years of his NBA career in Boston, helping transform them into perennial contenders. He peaked during the 2021-22 campaign, winning NBA Defensive Player of the Year and helping them reach the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors.
The Celtics traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies during the summer of 2023, however, and immediately won a title without him after bringing in Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
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Smart was traded to the Washington Wizards last season, who recently waived him. The 31-year-old point guard signed a two-year, $11 million deal with Los Angeles after clearing waivers, joining LeBron James and Luka Dončić for a fresh start in Hollywood rather than pursuing a reunion with his old team.
While Smart was a fan favorite during his time in Boston, he doesn’t expect that goodwill to continue now that he plays for the Celtics’ archrival.
Time will tell how Boston fans treat Smart on his new team. While there may be some boos, there will probably also be plenty of cheers in appreciation of everything he did for the Celtics.
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Featured image via Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images
