Marcus Smart is not expecting a warm reception from the Boston Celtics when he returns to the TD Garden as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Smart spent the majority of his career in Boston after being drafted with the sixth pick in 2014. He played nearly a decade for the Celtics until he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2023 and later the Washington Wizards in 2025.

Despite his long ties to the Celtics, Smart expects Boston fans to boo him when he faces the team in a Lakers uniform this season. Smart signed with one of the Celtics' biggest rivals by joining the Lakers on a two-year, $11 million deal this offseason.

"I can definitely tell and say that I'm expecting a lot of boos, I'm expecting a lot of hate, and it's okay I understand it," Smart told Allie Clifton of Spectrum SportsNet on Tuesday.

During Smart's time with the Celtics, he excelled defensively, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and making NBA All-Defensive first team three times. Now, he is bringing his staggering effort to a Lakers team that sorely needs help on the defensive front. He joins stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the latter of whom helped recruit him to Los Angeles.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Marcus Smart Totally Understands That Celtics Fans Are Going to Boo Him Now.

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