In an exclusive interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, former NBA star Joe Smith opened up about his time playing with the Los Angeles Lakers, reminiscing on his final stop in the league and the exceptional treatment he received.
Smith, reflecting on his experience with the Lakers, described it as “one of the best” throughout his career, emphasizing the unparalleled support and resources provided by the organization to ensure player well-being and performance both on and off the court.
“One of the best! One of the best throughout my career,” he said. “It was actually my final stop and it was one of the best… just the way they treated the players and how they took care of the players whether if it was before practice or after practice; the things they had there for us to recover and take care of our bodies and a lot of the stuff that they had around in the arena as well for us to be involved with… not to mention the fan base.”
From state-of-the-art facilities for recovery to the unwavering backing of the passionate Lakers fan base, Smith praised the organization’s commitment to excellence and its ability to create an environment conducive to success.
“The Lakers fan base is ridiculous! Everywhere we went, when I got traded to the Lakers — every arena that we went to was almost like a home game for us,” the 1995 number one draft pick said.
The Lakers’ dedication to prioritizing player needs and minimizing distractions allowed Smith and his teammates to focus solely on basketball, enabling them to perform at their peak and deliver results when it mattered most.
“The atmosphere was great; I mean, they treated us well and they treated us great and like everyone says, Everything was top notch and first class… Everything they did and everything they brought to the table was seemed like it was well thought out and what was the best interest for the players and what could help them to where they’re not focused on anything outside of the court so they could focus on the game of basketball and what they had to do on the floor. Everything off the court they can help you take care of or we can help you take that load off and that’s what they did,” Smith said.
