One of the most significant moves the Los Angeles Lakers made during the NBA offseason was undoubtedly signing defensive-minded guard Marcus Smart, who became a free agent after being bought out by the Washington Wizards.
Although it was a risk bringing in the often-injured veteran guard, Smart addressed a serious need for the Lakers in the backcourt, as he improves the team’s perimeter defense while adding some grit to a roster sorely lacking in that department.
Lakers’ Marcus Smart Opens Up About Playing Alongside LeBron James
During his time with the Boston Celtics, Smart had several on-court battles with LeBron James while the superstar was the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers and during his time playing with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat.
Smart and James joining forces was something unexpected, but the one-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year has embraced it and talked about what it’s been like being on the same team with the four-time NBA champion after Lakers practice on Saturday, via Khobi Price of the Southern California News Group.
After being opponents for over a decade, including multiple playoffs series, Marcus Smart on what it was like to have LeBron James as a teammate: “To be able to learn and pick his brain and be on the court with him and reading him on the court, it definitely feels different.” pic.twitter.com/v9ep1M7xOP
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) November 22, 2025
“We hear it all the time, and everybody knows his IQ when it comes to this game is on another level,” Smart said of James. “And I think my IQ is up there with some of these guys, too, on another level.
“To be able to learn and pick his brain and be on the court with him and reading him on the court, it definitely feels different. It feels good, actually, to play with another guy who can think the game just as quickly as I can and understands it more than I do.
“It’s great to have him out there and I think we all benefit from him being out there.”
Even though Smart has already missed a couple of games due to injury, the addition of the veteran guard has worked out thus far, as he’s played well and has already struck up some chemistry with his new teammates, like Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Deandre Ayton.
The question moving forward is whether Smart can stay healthy for the majority of the season and continue to make an impact on both ends of the floor with what is turning out to be a very good Lakers squad.
