About a month ago, the Los Angeles Lakers started to make some improvements to their roster. They addressed their big void at the center position by signing Deandre Ayton, and they also added 23-year-old sharpshooting forward Jake LaRavia while re-signing center Jaxson Hayes.
But they lacked defensive prowess and toughness, so later in July, they signed Marcus Smart after his contract was bought out by the Washington Wizards. Smart is just three years removed from winning the Defensive Player of the Year, and he has long been one of the NBA’s best backcourt defenders.
In a video that honored “NBA Defense Week,” Smart talked about the first time he had to guard late Lakers great Kobe Bryant.
“All I’m thinking is: My mom is watching me guarding Kobe,” Smart said. “I hope somebody got a picture of this. In my mind, I’m like, ‘Just live in this moment ’cause to be on the court with one of the all-time greats, is an honor, let alone to be guarding him.’
“Now, to be a Laker with that mamba mentality, it just amplifies it.”
Guarding Kobe. A moment you never forget 💜
NBA Defense Week pic.twitter.com/I7WcMkIRap
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 8, 2025
Smart’s first matchup versus Bryant came during the 2015-16 season, which was his second in the NBA and Bryant’s final campaign. In that game, he had the antidote to the venom of the “Black Mamba,” as he held the Hall of Famer to 5-of-18 shooting from the field, although his Boston Celtics lost, 112-104.
Even if Smart’s defense will be diminished this coming season, he’s still expected to make a significant impact on the Lakers with his ball-handling, playmaking, veteran leadership and overall resourcefulness. Somewhere, Bryant is surely smiling about the prospect of such a player joining the Purple and Gold.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Marcus Smart remembers his first game against Kobe Bryant
