The Los Angeles Lakers have further improved with the addition of former Boston Celtics star Marcus Smart.
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most iconic franchises in the NBA. Evidently, a fair share of talented players have donned the Purple and Gold jersey.
But what’s better than playing for the Lakers? Well, how about playing for the Boston Celtics as well? After all, the Lakers and Celtics have a long history as the two franchises that have the most NBA titles in league history.
With Marcus Smart’s move to the Lakers becoming official, he is now on the elusive list of NBA players who have played for both franchises.
Photo by G Fiume/Getty ImagesMarcus Smart becomes the 42nd NBA player ever to play for both LA Lakers and Boston Celtics
Keeping the Lakers and Celtics’ rivalry in mind, oftentimes, if an athlete has played for one team, they avoid joining the other.
Despite that, there have been 41 NBA players who played for both the Celtics and the Lakers during their careers. The list includes the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Rajon Rondo.
Smart will become the 42nd player in league history to play for both franchises during the 2025-26 NBA season. With that said, here’s the entire list of players who fit this criteria.
Mike BloomGene StumpClyde LovelletteMel CountsDon NelsonJim BarnesDon ChaneyHank FinkelCharlie ScottKermit WashingtonErnie DiGregorioEarl TatumBob McAdooFred RobertsJoe KleineBrian ShawRick FoxDerek StrongFrank BrickowskiTravis KnightShammon WilliamsChucky AtkinsJumaine JonesChris MihmGary PaytonTheo RatliffRajon RondoShaquille O’NealVon WaferTroy MurphyAvery BradleyBrandon BassMarShon BrooksVander BlueIsaiah ThomasTristan ThompsonMoritz WagnerDennis SchroderMatt RyanMike MuscalaSvi MykhailiukMarcus SmartMarcus Smart’s career with the Boston Celtics
The Laker Nation should be thankful to Luka Doncic for recruiting Smart this summer. After all, Smart is undoubtedly one of the best defensive guards in the league.
While Smart is still an excellent player, he was at his sparkling best during his nine-year tenure with the Celtics.
During that stint, Smart averaged 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game for the C’s. He also helped the team reach the 2022 NBA Finals, albeit losing to the Golden State Warriors.
Fast forward to 2025, Smart is now a member of the Lakers, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can leave a better legacy in LA than he did in Boston.