Marcus Smart is officially a Laker, and he’s already locked in on chasing a championship. In his introductory press conference and a follow-up interview with ESPN LA, the former Defensive Player of the Year spoke candidly about what drew him to Los Angeles and what he hopes to bring to the team. Smart credited Luka Doncic for personally recruiting him to join the Lakers, praising the star guard’s leadership and vision for the future.
“There’s a lot of reasons, but the main one: being able to play with Luka and LeBron, two of the best to do it in this game,” said Smart in his introductory press conference. “Two greats with the greatest basketball IQ that I’ve ever seen in this era. And when you get a guy like Luka calling to see if you want to come join something special that he’s trying to cook up over here. For him to say that he can really use my help meant a lot.”
Smart is the newest Laker to sign this summer after agreeing to a buyout from the Washington Wizards. Unsurprisingly, he has big expectations for his LA arrival, but, in an interesting twist, Smart also admitted he has yet to hear from LeBron James—a surprising detail given the high-profile nature of his arrival.
“We all have our eye on one thing and that’s to win a championship, so that’s the goal, and I think everybody knows as a fan, as a player, we play this game to win championships,” said Smart on ESPN LA. “I have not talked to LeBron yet. Bron’s a busy man, I’m going to talk to him when he gets time.”
LeBron James’ future with the Lakers remains a topic of speculation. While neither he nor his agent, Rich Paul, has signaled any intention to leave, the growing presence of Luka Doncic has raised questions about how much influence LeBron still holds inside the organization.
As one of the stars and leaders of the team, one might expect LeBron to be among the first to reach out to his newest teammate. For now, LeBron appears to be keeping his distance from team matters as he enjoys the offseason, leaving fans to wonder how engaged he’ll be once training camp arrives.
While the situation with LeBron may be unknown, at least the Lakers know that Luka is locked in and committed to the cause. Whatever drama may be happening behind the scenes, he’s going above and beyond to make sure that the Lakers are in a position to succeed next season.
With Marcus Smart in tow, the odds have certainly tipped in their favor, but the hard work has only just begun. With a few months to go before training camp, there’s only so much time left to prepare for the new season. These early days and weeks will be critical for Smart (and the rest of the new arrivals) to get properly incorporated and introduced into the Lakers’ rotation.
Smart may be new to the Lakers, but his mindset is exactly what the franchise needs: focused, vocal, and team-first. If his connection with Luka grows and LeBron eventually buys in, this trio could be one of the most dangerous in the league.
