When people talk about the greatest rivalries in sports, you often think of New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox, Real Madrid vs Barcelona, Manchester United vs Liverpool, and Ohio State vs Michigan. In the NBA, there's no bigger rivals than the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
Over the years, the two teams have delivered countless iconic battles. NBA Finals showdowns, regular-season classics filled with intensity, history, and star power — the clashes have seen it all.
When you look at the history of both franchises, very few players have donned both the green and white plus the purple and gold over their careers. Most notably, Rick Fox, Rajon Rondo, Gary Payton, Shaquille O'Neal
, and now, most recently, Marcus Smart.
Marcus Smart is bringing his Celtics mentality to the Lakers
During his nine years in Boston, he was everything, not just to his teammates, but to the city and the fans. Every time he donned the Celtics jersey, he played with attention to detail, purpose, hustle, and heart. His efforts, especially on defense, were so spectacular that he became the first guard since 1996 to take home the league's Defensive Player of the Year award.
At one point, he even dyed parts of his hair green during the Celtics' run to the finals in 2022. His heart-and-soul persona from Boston didn’t necessarily translate after he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the summer of 2023, but it sure has since he joined the Lakers.
It wasn’t immediate, but it’s happening at the right time. With the postseason a handful of games away, the Lakers have found a mentality shift, and Smart’s been a massive driving force in that.
During his time with Boston, Smart has always been surrounded by high-end talent, whether it be Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Gordon Hayward, or Isaiah Thomas. Something Smart did when playing alongside all of these players was elevate them and help unlock their full competitiveness, which is why he's been able to do the same with the Lakers.
Being around Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and even players like Deandre Ayton, the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, is where Smart is at his best. These types of players are never going to be the ones diving at loose balls or making those winning defensive plays, but Smart is.
That is exactly why he's been such an excellent complementary piece for this Lakers team. Having been in Boston for nine years, surrounded by different types of stars and tasked with various roles, he is the ideal role player for LA. His ability to motivate, lead, and make the plays that don't appear in the box score, or his career averages, have blessed LA with an excellent culture setter.