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Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during overtime of the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on April 24, 2026 in Houston, Texas.

Veteran guard Marcus Smart has been the Los Angeles Lakers‘ best defensive player all season. He has also been a locker-room leader and model teammate.

The NBA announced Wednesday that Smart received seven first-place votes, 22 second-place and 19 third-place votes in the final tally for the 2025-26 Teammate of the Year award. Smart received a total of 424 points after finishing as part of the 12 finalists for the award (six from each conference) that were selected by a panel of league executives. Current NBA players voted from the final 12 finalists from 12 different teams.

New Orleans Pelicans big man Deandre Jordan received the award, while Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday and Houston Rockets’ Jeff Green rounded off the top three.

New York Knicks‘ Jalen Brunson and Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum also received votes.

Marcus Smart Uplifts Lakers

Smart has been a positive influence for the Lakers all season.

Amid the injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, Smart has upped his offensive production in the ongoing first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets. Through four games, Smart has averaged 17.5 points and 7.5 assists, while shooting 50% from the field and an impressive 44.4% from three.

In the lead-up to the playoffs, Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealed he had a private conversation with Smart to remind him of his importance to the team amid the injuries.

“Him and I had a conversation coming off those three losses…in San Francisco,” Redick said of a chat he had with Smart at the end of the regular season.

“I’m not going to share the details, but the biggest thing was just he, because he has the voice he has, he can help create the belief and the confidence in our group. I think he’s done that.”

Lakers vs Rockets Game 5

Smart and Co. will try to close out the Rockets at home in tonight’s Game 5.

The Lakers could definitely use Smart’s physicality against a desperate Rockets team trying to keep its season alive. After staving off elimination in Game 4, Rockets stars Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. promised the Lakers a physical Game 5.

“I’m ready… I know they’re gonna hit. Well, we’re hitting them too… We’re younger. We heal faster than them probably,” Sengun said of the Lakers.

“We’re just gonna hit each other and see what’s going on.”

Smith declared that the Rockets were a better team.

“Stay with it. Be us, play aggressive, be free,” Smith said of his team’s gameplan.

“We’re obviously the better team, I feel like. So just knowing that, being confident and trusting our work… I just feel like from top to bottom, (we’re the better team). You can say it’s an opinion, you can say I’m biased, but I just think we’re the better team.”

The Lakers enter Game 5 as -4.5-point favorites, amid the imminent return of Austin Reaves. The Rockets will continue to be without Kevin Durant (ankle) for a third consecutive game.