The next time Marcus Smart plays in front of the TD Garden crowd, Celtics fans will likely feel differently about their longtime guard. Smart signed with the rival Lakers this summer as he looks to get back onto the playoff stage.

So while Smart was a fan favorite in Boston, he’s on an enemy team now. Not just any team, but the Lakers. Smart broke down how he expects to be received when he’s back at the Garden next as the Lakers officially announced his signing Tuesday.

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“I can try to anticipate it,” Smart told Spectrum SportsNet. “I have no idea. But I can definitely tell and say that I’m expecting a lot of boos. I’m expecting a lot of hate. And that’s okay. I understand it.”

Smart, 31, got a buyout from the Wizards this summer, allowing him to sign with any team. The Bucks and Suns were reportedly in the running for Smart’s services, but instead, he chose the Lakers. Smart also spoke about how Luka Doncic was a key recruiter to get him to Los Angeles for this upcoming season.

Of course, some Celtics fans view Smart’s time in Boston fondly. The C’s made the playoffs in all nine of his seasons after he was drafted sixth overall in 2014. Smart experienced plenty of highs with the team, including a 2022 NBA Finals berth and being named the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year.

But the organization elected to move on in the summer of 2023, shipping Smart to the Grizzlies in a three-team deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. Smart hasn’t been able to stay healthy as he’s played in just 54 total games over the past two seasons. He was expected to be the veteran on a young Memphis squad, but instead, he was ineffective and was traded to the Wizards at last year’s trade deadline.

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Now, Smart gets an opportunity to rebuild his image after a couple of lost seasons as his team failed to make the playoffs both years. He should fit right in with a Los Angeles team that needed a defender like Smart. But it remains to be seen if Smart can showcase the highs he displayed during his time in Boston.

“I feel like what I bring this team could use and I think any team could use,” Smart said. “But I think this team in particular because of the competitor that I am and the competitive nature that this team is. I think I’m going to fit very well.”

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