Marcus Smart Honored In First Trip Back To TD Garden In Boston

The Boston Celtics honored Marcus Smart with a tribute video in his first return to the TD Garden. Smart spent nine years with Boston, helping them to five Eastern Conference Finals appearances and one trip to the NBA Finals in 2022, also winning Defensive Player of the Year as well. Smart was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies over the offseason, and though he was celebrated through an emotional video on the main scoreboard in Boston, he didn’t make it onto the floor as he is dealing with a right finger injury.

“Boston is definitely a second home for me,” Smart said. “I spent a little bit over half of my life here, almost. I got here when I was 20. Now, I’m about to be turning 30 in March. So, whew, I can go on all day about everything that I’ve experienced here. Just the way that Boston took me in.”

During his time with the Celtics, Smart was known for his physical and unrelenting play style, always fighting for loose balls and rebounds while never afraid to get in the face of an opponent. For much of his time in Boston, Smart was the definition of a tough player who would do anything to help his team win, whether that meant guarding the other team’s best player or letting his teammates know they needed to be working harder. Sometimes, however, those talks led to heated discussions and arguments, specifically with current Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. While Tatum and Brown were on the rise to become All-Stars, it was Smart who was already leading the team and giving the younger players criticism and advice they didn’t always want to hear.

“I spent six years with Smart and he’s like a brother to me. It was some tough days and we had a lot of great days, right?” Tatum said. “Some tough conversations that we had, but there were some great conversations. You just learn, being around Smart long enough, everything he did, everything he said came from a place of love and him just wanting to win.”

Not just a defensive force, Smart currently holds the Celtics record for three-pointers in a game. He made 11 three-pointers in a January 2020 win against the Suns. With winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, Smart is only the second point guard to ever win the award, behind only Gary Payton in 1996. As a team and city in Boston that appreciates toughness and grit, Smart’s play style of never giving up and always looking to find an edge made him a fan favorite during his time in Boston. Before and after his tribute video, fans in the arena were chanting “We love Marcus” to show that though he isn’t with the team anymore, the impact he left can be seen. Throughout his ten-year career, Smart has averaged 10.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

“Thank you guys. I love you guys forever,” Smart said of the fans. “You guys will always be in my heart. Boston will always be in here. So, never forgotten. And thank you.”

Article by Eli Gregorski