Marcus Smart is helping the Los Angeles Lakers not lose confidence following their season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.
Smart began his 12th year in the NBA, his first with the Lakers. He spent most of his ongoing career with the Boston Celtics before they sent him to the Memphis Grizzlies in a multi-team deal during the 2023 offseason. Memphis traded him to the Washington Wizards last season, where he only appeared in 15 contests for the remainder of the campaign.
Smart joined Los Angeles this past offseason, bolstering the guard depth with experience as a playmaker and defender. He hopes to elevate the team on both sides of the ball, which he emphasized on the team being tough through the ups and downs of the season while conversing with media on Thursday.
“The toughest team sets the rules, that’s the motto. I've been in this league for 12 years and it has always been a model for me. The team that comes out more physical, the momentum kind of goes their way. That is how it is, so we want to be the toughest from start to finish,” Smart said, via ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin.
“The toughest team sets the rules, that’s the motto.” Marcus Smart reveals his advice to the Lakers about how they should be establishing physicality night to night. pic.twitter.com/dTT3axQt5B
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 23, 2025
What lies ahead for Marcus Smart, Lakers
It's clear that Marcus Smart's experience throughout his career, including multiple playoff runs and one NBA Finals run with the Celtics in 2022, will allow him to give the Lakers an edge in being a solid unit.
Los Angeles will rely on the production of stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves while LeBron James remains out until November. In the meantime, they will look for Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and Smart to be reliable pieces in the rotation.
The Lakers have potential to be a fierce opponent in the Western Conference when all their best players are available. However, it will take the supporting cast for them to take the next step of being in the conversation of title contention.
The Lakers will continue preparation for their next matchup, being at home. They host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.
