A five-year-old podcast clip of JJ Redick passionately praising Marcus Smart has resurfaced, and it couldn’t be more perfectly timed. Now the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Redick finds himself reunited with the very kind of player he once celebrated from afar. As the video made the rounds across social media, Lakers fans quickly latched onto the quote that encapsulates it all:
“I love Marcus, and I think, you know, he’s like, if I’m picking a basketball team, I want him on my team. He gets under guys’ skin. He competes. There’s a level of flopping to the Marcus Smart experience, but I think that overshadows all the other amazing stuff he does.”
“He’s a guy that just makes winning plays consistently. When I was in Philly, and even my last couple of years in LA, when Marcus and Jaylen would guard me a lot, there was some banter back and forth at times, but ultimately, by the end of my time in Philly, the three of us just had a mutual level of respect.”
“I sort of acknowledged that to them, and they did to me, verbally. So, there’s no ill will at all from my part toward Marcus. I actually just enjoy watching him play. I like guys that compete like that.”
That quote came from Redick’s appearance on his popular podcast The Old Man and the Three, where he discussed the value Smart brings beyond the stat sheet.
That admiration was rooted in firsthand experience. Redick recalled his battles with Smart during his playing days in Philadelphia and LA. That competitive fire and commitment to the less glamorous aspects of basketball are precisely why the Lakers pursued Smart this offseason.
The Lakers were looking for grit, leadership, and defensive toughness traits Smart has in abundance. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year is a three-time All-NBA Defensive First Team selection and was the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics during their Finals run in 2022.
Though injuries have slowed him in recent years, he’s only played 54 games in the past two seasons, the 31-year-old still brings immense value. Last year, he averaged 9.0 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 34.8% from three.
But the numbers don’t tell the full story. What the Lakers are getting is a veteran who leads by example, someone who sacrifices his body, rallies teammates, and embraces the dirty work.
Importantly, Redick won’t ask Smart to run the offense. With Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves already in place as playmakers, Smart’s primary role will be as the point-of-attack defender, tasked with neutralizing the opposition’s top perimeter threats. Though listed at 6-foot-3, Smart’s physicality and defensive IQ allow him to guard up, even against undersized wings.
Redick’s words from years ago have now become prophecy. He does have Marcus Smart on his team. And judging by the viral reaction to the resurfaced clip, Lakers fans are more than happy to see the coach and player aligned.
For a team looking to reclaim its defensive identity and championship edge, Smart might just be the spark they’ve needed, and Redick knew it all along.
