Marcus Smart has opened up about how Luka Doncic’s persistence helped sway his decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.
In his first press conference in purple and gold, the point guard recalled the moment his agent first delivered the news that Doncic had reached out about a potential move.
“It first came, my agent, I’m working out and I get a call from my agent saying, Luka’s reached out and I’m like, yeah, whatever,” Smart said. “And then another day, same thing, Luka’s reached out again. And now it’s real, it’s no longer what ifs, it’s real and it’s something we need to talk about. And that was a great feeling, like I said, and that’s kind of what got the things going for me to be here and I’m excited to be here.”
Marcus Smart talks about Luka Doncic’s efforts to recruit him to L.A. He said prior to this summer, they didn’t have a relationship beyond mutual respect as competitors: “It was always flowers” pic.twitter.com/4k4KPi3tQu
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 22, 2025
Now paired with Doncic, Smart is looking forward to adding his defensive versatility and leadership to a Lakers team aiming to make a deep playoff run.
“You know, when you get a guy like Luka calling, referencing, checking on you, trying to see where you’re at to see,” Smart said. “And that if you want to come, join something special that he’s trying to cook up over here. And for him to say that, to see that he can really use my help, that meant a lot. Played against Luka a lot, been on a lot of opposing ends of, you know, Luka magic. And to be able to come out and be on his side at this time means a lot.”
When asked if there was any prior relationship between the two, Smart admitted it was more of a mutual respect from years of competition rather than a relationship.
“I wouldn’t say it was a relationship, but we definitely had a mutual understanding and respect for each other,” Smart said. “After every game, playing, it was always flowers. Way to go, keep going, keep those guys going and vice versa.”
