Marcus Smart Names the City with the Ugliest Fans in NBA

Marcus Smart takes a shot at Memphis Grizzlies fans.

Marcus Smart Names the City with the Ugliest Fans in NBA

Marcus Smart (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Marcus Smart named Memphis Grizzlies as the city with the ugliest fans in the NBA.
  • Smart expressed mixed feelings about his time in Memphis during a YouTube interview.
  • He revealed that getting traded from the Boston Celtics still keeps him up at night.

Los Angeles Lakers star Marcus Smart has grabbed some headlines and might be in big trouble after revealing his pick for the city that has the ugliest fans. And he picked his former club, the Memphis Grizzlies. Smart is coming off a well-fought 110-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at the Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night.

The Lakers have had their inconsistencies since the turn of the year. However, after three consecutive losses, they have now bounced back with three wins in a row. The win over the Pelicans improved the Lakers’ record to 37-24, putting them in sixth place in the Western Conference standings and two games ahead of the seventh-place Phoenix Suns. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are currently in 11th place in the standings.

Drafted by the Boston Celtics as the sixth pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Marcus Smart spent nine seasons in Boston and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. In 2023, he was traded to the Grizzlies, where he struggled with injuries and rarely saw the court.

He was traded to the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline last year and was waived off before signing with the Lakers in the offseason. Considering his history with the Celtics, he did receive some boos when he played in Boston this season.

The 31-year-old appeared this week on NBAT2’s “GRILLED” show on YouTube. He was interviewed by his biggest fan, named Yanna G. She asked him a few questions, and one of the questions was which city has the ugliest fans. While Charles Barkley’s answer would be San Antonio, Smart answered Memphis.

Memphis. I feel bad for ’em because Memphis is for the people. They love, and they support. But they just ain’t it. They just ain’t it.

While Smart did try to soften the blow by praising Grizzlies fans for their fervent support of their team, those comments do not come across as much better. Smart spent one and a half seasons in Memphis and was never fond of his time with the franchise.

LeBron James and Luka Doncic don’t talk as much in the locker room

Since acquiring Luka Doncic at the trade deadline last year, LeBron James has made it clear that the Slovenian guard is the focal point of the team as the Lakers’ front office prepares for life in the post-James era. While James has shown no signs of slowing down after turning 41, Doncic leads the league in scoring and is a strong contender for league MVP this year.

During the episode, another question that was asked was who controls the locker room energy. Smart answered

Luka Doncic and LeBron James' chemistry has grown
Luka Doncic and LeBron James (Image via DraftKings/X)

Definitely me. LeBron and Luka really don’t talk as much. You know, they’re in their zone, locked in. So I’ve got to balance that energy and make sure everyone else is good.

It is not surprising to see the two biggest stars of the team locking in and staying away from all the noise before a match. The Lakers will need both stars firing on all cylinders as the postseason approaches.

Getting traded from Boston Celtics keep Marcus Smart up at night

Marcus Smart had a successful stint in his nine-year spell in Boston. While he did not win a championship, he helped the Celtics reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years in 2022. However, they were beaten by the Golden State Warriors in six games. To go along with the finals appearance in 2022, Smart made it to four other Eastern Conference Finals appearances in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2023.

When asked about the one moment that keeps him up at night, Smart did not hesitate and responded:

Getting traded from Boston. I was drafted by Boston and I built something there with those guys. We were building there with Avery Bradley and those guys. So, I was there from the start and then we make it to the NBA Finals in 2022. We don’t get the job done and then you thinking ‘We’ve seen what it takes. We seen this’ and then bam you get traded. That was unfinished business for sure.

Although he now wears purple and gold and is enjoying his time with the Lakers, his move away from Boston rubbed him the wrong way. It would have felt worse when Boston claimed the NBA Championship in 2024. But Smart can have the perfect revenge by helping their biggest rivals win a championship.

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