For years, LeBron James and Marcus Smart have shared the court. However, it’s often been on opposing sides.
Smart, a longtime Celtic, faced off against James when he was a Cavalier for countless regular-season games and in the postseason during the 2010s.
Cleveland got the better of Boston during those battles, winning the Eastern Conference four times in the decade.
During the summer, Smart joined the Lakers, and now the two foes have become teammates. They’ve gotten their first taste of playoff glory
as members of the purple and gold as they beat the Rockets to win Game 1 of their opening round series.
After the win, Smart spoke about loving playing alongside LeBron James after years on the other side.
“It’s been great,” Smart said. “Being able to see why he’s considered one of the greatest to do it. The way that he prepares for the playoffs, it’s a whole different mentality for him than the regular season. We see it, you guys see it, but as a teammate, to be able to be there watching him get prepared, watching the things he’s doing to get himself ready, I’m glad I’m on his side this time.”
This isn’t the first time Smart has talked about the joys of playing with LeBron. He mentioned his excitement regarding playing with James in the summer after signing with the Lakers.
As a 12-year veteran, Smart knows what a winning mentality looks like. He exudes it every day, in every way possible, through his on-court play, practice regimen and media appearances.
Obviously, he understood that LeBron has this too, but now he is seeing it up close, in a way only a teammate can. With Luka and Austin Reaves out, the duo has become two of the most important leaders on the team.
Considering that LeBron is an All-Star in his own right, and Smart is a defensive initiator, this is a great pairing to have as the playoffs begin.
They’ve already proven they can have success together at this level by winning Game 1. They’ll look to continue stacking up victories during the rest of the NBA playoffs, and this time, they’ll do it together.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
