Marcus Smart Remembers Defending Kobe…
The Los Angeles Lakers added Marcus Smart, the former Boston Celtics Defensive Player of the Year, to their team this offseason. He signed a two-year contract after being bought out by the Washington Wizards. This defensive dynamo once had the task of guarding none other than the legendary Kobe Bryant. Imagine giving a cat a bath—defending Kobe was ten times harder! Drafted by the Celtics in 2014, Smart played alongside Kobe for two seasons. Now, fast forward a decade, and Smart gets to guard the very court where Kobe reigned supreme, and feels the weight of legends as he looks at the jerseys high in the rafters.
Before Luka Doncic took over the world as a basketball sensation, he faced Marcus Smart in a game that was likely as mind-blowing for Doncic as dodging a UFO on his way to practice. At age 16, Doncic played against Smart and got his first taste of elite NBA defense. Now, as teammates in the Lakers’ backcourt, Doncic and Smart are gearing up to bring the same intensity to the court. Injuries may have sidelined Smart in recent times, but Doncic and Lakers fans are hopeful he still has the defensive skills that once made him so valuable.
