Even though he is no longer playing for the Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart will forever be remembered by fans of his first team in the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies star felt the love of Celtics fans when he made returned to TD Garden on Sunday. Smart was not able to suit up because of an injury, but that did not stop Boston fans from showering him with love.
“Thank you guys. I love you guys forever. You guys will always be in my heart,” Smart said when asked during the postgame press conference about what he wanted to convey to Celtics fans (h/t Noa Dalzell).
Smart, who has been ruled out for several weeks due to a finger injury he sustained back in January, was traded by the Celtics to the Grizzlies back in June of 2023 through a three-team deal that also involved the Washington Wizards. In the trade, the Celtics acquired unicorn big man Kristaps Porzingis from the Wizards plus a first-round pick and Marcius Sasser from the Grizzlies.
Smart played his first nine seasons in the pros with the Celtics, and during his time there, Boston was a title contender for several years. It was also with the Celtics that Smart won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2022 and got named to three NBA All-Defensive First Teams. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, Smart has been unable to contribute to the team in the last several games due to the said injury.
So far in his first season with the Grizzlies, Smart is averaging 14.5, 2.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game.
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