One of the reasons veteran guard Marcus Smart decided to join the Los Angeles Lakers instead of one of the other teams that wanted him was Luka Doncic. Doncic reportedly communicated with Smart and made it clear he wanted Smart to come to Los Angeles, and Smart complied.
Shortly after he officially signed his two-year, $11 million contract with the Lakers, Smart said he hadn’t heard from LeBron James. James has been noticeably quiet this offseason ever since he exercised his player option and his agent, Rich Paul, issued that infamous statement that many interpreted as a prelude to a potential trade request.
But the former Defensive Player of the Year still made it clear that he’s looking forward to taking the court on the same team as James.
“I mean, it’s not every day you get to play against, let alone with, one of the greatest players to ever play this game. We all know his IQ in this game is ridiculous, and playing against him, you see it. To be able to see it on the other side, to witness it and benefit from it, instead of him taking me out with it on the defensive end. Just to be able to soak it all in like a sponge is an opportunity that I’m blessed to be able to have.”
Smart has long been one of the NBA’s best backcourt defenders. Even at age 31 and after multiple mild-to-moderate injuries over the last couple of years, he’s expected by many to be a true game-changer on the defensive end for a Lakers team that has lacked perimeter defense.
Like James, he possesses high basketball IQ, which should help the team in additional facets of the game other than defense. James has made it clear in the past that he prefers to play with resourceful veterans, and Smart certainly fits that description.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Marcus Smart talks about getting to play with LeBron James
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
