Marcus Smart spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Boston Celtics, helping the franchise reach the postseason every year of that stretch. The front office opted to trade him away ahead of the 2023-24 season, leading to stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards.
Smart reportedly gave up just under $7 million in order to facilitate a buyout with the Wizards and join the Los Angeles Lakers. In his first meeting with the local media, he revealed that he expects to receive hate from the Celtics fanbase.
"I can try to anticipate it," Lakers guard Marcus Smart stated Tuesday. "I have no idea, but I can definitely tell and say that I'm expecting a lot of boos. I'm expecting a lot of hate. And it's okay. I understand it."
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Smart will look to join Rajon Rondo and Rick Fox on a list of players who began their career in Boston and won a championship with the Lakers. While it is no surprise that he is not expecting his former fanbase to take the decision well, the opportunity to play with Luka Dončić -- who personally recruited him to Los Angeles -- and LeBron James was something he was unwilling to pass up.
The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year has appeared in just 54 games over the past two seasons. He will look to have a bounce back year as the Lakers look to match the Celtics with their 18th championship.
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