W hen the Los Angeles Lakers secured veteran guard Marcus Smart in free agency, it was widely seen as another intentional step toward contending for a championship next season. Kn

He opened up about how Luka Doncic, the new superstar face of the Los Angeles franchise, played a huge part. "When you get a guy like Luka calling, to see if you want to join something special that he's trying to cook up over here, that meant a lot," Smart said.