Marcus Smart vs Jayson Tatum: Explosive IG Live Confrontation After Joining Lakers!
It was a summer nobody in Boston—or the NBA—could have seen coming. Marcus Smart, the soul of the Boston Celtics and a player who bled green for nearly a decade, made the unthinkable decision: he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Not just another team, but the Lakers, the Celtics’ fiercest and most storied rivals. It was a move that sent seismic shockwaves through Boston’s loyal fanbase and the basketball world as a whole. To many, it was a dagger in the heart.
But as Boston fans tried to make sense of what felt like betrayal, the story didn’t end there. Right after putting pen to paper with the Lakers, Marcus Smart wasted no time in addressing the storm around him. He took to IG Live, knowing full well that Celtics fans would flood his mentions with booes, angry emojis, and words of disappointment.
“I have no idea exactly how bad it will get,” Smart admitted candidly, “but yeah, I’m expecting a lot of hate.” He had prepared himself for the onslaught from fans. What he didn’t expect, though, was shade from a familiar face: Jayson Tatum.
Tatum’s reaction was swift and sharp—a social media quip that could be read as betrayal or banter, depending on who you ask. Regardless, the public jab couldn’t go unanswered, and Smart fired back, dragging Tatum for his comments and fanning the flames of what was rapidly becoming an ugly, very public spat.
How did it get so messy between two former teammates? Let’s break it all down.
Bleeding Green, Turning Gold
Smart wasn’t just another journeyman NBA player. He was Boston’s cornerstone—drafted sixth overall back in 2014 and a fixture through thick and thin, making the playoffs every year and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals five times. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, a three-time All-Defensive selection, and the guy who did every little thing that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet but wins basketball games—diving for loose balls, taking charges, being the ultimate team player.
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To Celtics fans, Smart’s departure felt like having their heart ripped out. And it stung even more that the Celtics finally won the NBA title in 2024—their first in more than a decade—without him there to celebrate. By 2025, Boston was losing key pieces left and right, struggling to keep its championship core together, and now Smart was gone too…to their deepest enemy.
From Boston’s Rockstar to Memphis Outcast
Smart’s journey out of Boston was a rocky one. In 2023, he was trade-bait, sent to Memphis in the deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics. He suffered through injuries—a shadow of his former self—playing just 20 games for the Grizzlies. Memphis, sensing they’d made a mistake, quickly offloaded him to Washington, where, on a bottom-feeding Wizards team, he played out the string with no hope, no shot at meaningful games.
Knowing he still had more to give, Smart and the Wizards quickly reached a buyout. Suddenly a free agent, Smart fielded offers. And the call that came changed everything: the Lakers wanted him. At first, it sounded too wild to be true, but with each day the reality grew clearer—a new chapter in gold and purple awaited.
That Ancient Celtics-Lakers Rivalry
It wasn’t just about basketball anymore—it was generational. Celtics-Lakers is the NBA’s greatest rivalry, with Boston holding 18 titles to LA’s 17. For many, the thought of Smart in a Lakers jersey was unthinkable, like seeing a beloved ex dating your sworn enemy’s sibling two weeks after your breakup.
Social media exploded. “Marcus Smart is a Laker? Being a Celtics fan right now is hell,” one heartbroken supporter tweeted. NBA commentator Bill Simmons posted memes of agony and disbelief. Others likened it to Shakespearean betrayal. Smart himself understood. “I’m expecting a lot of hate,” he confessed in his Lakers introductory interview. He knew he had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed.
A Rift Years in the Making: Smart vs. Tatum
But beneath the surface, more tension bubbled. Smart’s relationship with Celtics star Jayson Tatum was never quite the same after one fateful night in November 2021. After squandering a 19-point lead to the Bulls and falling to 2-5 that season, Smart publicly criticized Tatum and Jaylen Brown for their lack of ball movement. “They don’t want to pass the ball,” he declared—words that detonated in the locker room and, some say, fractured trust that never fully healed.
Tatum admitted months later, “It caught me off guard, for sure.” Suddenly, the air between Boston’s young stars and their seasoned leader felt awkward and forced. They talked it out, but people close to the team sensed that true camaraderie was gone, replaced by something more manufactured and guarded.
On the court, Smart and Tatum learned to coexist. They still found success, reaching the 2022 NBA Finals, but the easy trust of old was a memory, replaced by subtle tension—a reality highlighted every time Smart was asked about the shifting team hierarchy.
Now the Feud Goes Public
Which brings us to the present. Tatum’s IG jab—perhaps aimed at Smart’s decision or just old wounds—served as the latest spark. Smart snapped back, starting a social media back-and-forth that delighted Lakers fans and devastated the Celtics faithful. The broken relationships, the unsaid words, the simmering annoyances—they were all now on full display for the basketball world.
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The Lakers’ New Defensive Bulldozer
For the Lakers, it’s a dream come true. Smart brings everything LA has needed—a relentless, versatile defender with a championship pedigree; a leader who can set the defensive tone on a roster angling for one last run with LeBron James and a rising star in Luka Doncic.
Will he be enough to put the Lakers over the top? At age 31, his health is a question, but his hunger is not. “I’m itching to play,” Smart said. “Just let me go. I’m a competitor. I love the game.”
The Legacy Question
With Smart now on the enemy’s side, Celtics-Lakers games will never be the same. He joins a rare club of NBA players who’ve worn both legendary jerseys. No matter what happens, he’s already made himself part of the next chapter in basketball’s greatest rivalry.
Will he be the missing piece for LA’s chase for title 18? Or just another veteran chasing a ring in the twilight? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: the Marcus Smart drama has given NBA fans a storyline for the ages—full of rivalry, betrayal, confrontation, and the unending quest for glory.
Whether you cheer or boo, this season will be unforgettable.
