No denying mutual lovefest in aftermath of sudden breakup

absence, with Jrue Holiday taking over his role and Derrick White sliding into the starting lineup. They may be better than they were last season when Smart was the point guard and he has to accept the franchise he sacrificed so much for, primarily his body, has moved on with no regrets.

But neither does he.

“I could go on all day about everything that I’ve experienced here but just the way that Boston took me in,” Smart said. “We all know playing in this city isn’t the easiest and there’s plenty of times they let [you] know about it, especially me. But everything is always great here and I speak for everybody — opposing teams and guys who have played here that there’s nothing like playing in this place and playing in this city.”

Smart should be revered for his time here. He played nine years but it seemed like 20. He vastly improved his game, became an indispensable leader and the team’s toughest player. He was their enforcer, refusing to back down from any player, any challenge.

His flaws have been well documented. He never became a reliable 3-point shooter, even though he worked feverishly on his shot. He took too many “hero ball” chances on steals or trying to make that game-breaking play. But it wasn’t because he was selfish. It was because he wanted to win that badly. He wanted to be the man when no one else, and that includes Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, proved capable of leading the Celtics to prosperity. If they were too timid to be the dawg, damn sure enough Marcus would do it.

And maybe he overdid it. Maybe he should have conceded to Brown and Tatum, especially more recently. But no Celtic who has ever played in Boston wanted to win more than Smart, and he deserved appreciation for that because he gave nine years to this franchise on and off the floor.

And because of those contributions, Smart was given a standing ovation after the first timeout of the first quarter and then another when he was presented with the “Hero Among Us” for his work with the Youn-Game-Changer Foundation in the Boston community.

Should the Celtics retire No. 36? Yes. Smart didn’t ask out. He was traded. He loved being a Celtic. He even dyed his hair green. Although he had his share of detractors, his share of critics who said he’ll never be a front-line NBA point guard and should never be a cornerstone.

He played his heart out here, and perhaps in the end, the Marcus Smart experience became more stressful and uneven, but his effort and desire were never questioned.

Smart was hurt the Celtics never called and warned him about a potential trade. He was hurt that in some ways he was made a scapegoat for the team’s playoff failures. He felt that he could have helped the Celtics get banner No. 18 with perhaps some changes around him, but not including him.

In Boston, he became a man, became a starter, became an All-Defensive first-team selection, lost his mother, became Defensive Player of the Year, and became a franchise cornerstone — until the Celtics decided he was expendable.

“I’ve had moments and spurts but fully, no,” he said of reflecting on his Celtics tenure. “It’s been real hectic for me. It seems like every time I’m coming back from an injury, I’m getting hurt again. There’s a lot of stuff personally I’ve been dealing with. But I haven’t had time to really sit down, but I think once I do get that time, I’m sure there’s going to be crying, a lot of laughter but it’s all going to be great feelings at the end of the day.

“Like I said, I understand business and I understand this business and I tell people to this day, ‘If it was me, I’d make the same business decision.’ All I ask is you could have gave a heads-up, a simple, ‘Hey, you’ve been here nine years; we just let you know this is what’s going on.’ ”

Smart left Boston with grace. He didn’t bad-mouth the organization, blame anybody for the situation. He walked away with his head high, hoping he’ll eventually make the same impact on the Grizzlies as he did in Boston.

And it may not happen this year, but he will make the Memphis franchise better.

“Of course,” Smart said when asked if he wonders if he wasn’t traded and remained a Celtic. “You come that close and then you have to leave; anybody in this position it would be a hard thing to fathom that and try to wrap your head around it. Like I said, it didn’t stop how I feel about those guys [his former teammates]. And just as much as I deserve [success and championships], they deserve it as well.

“That’s why I say I am ecstatic for those guys because they worked just as hard and they deserve it just as much as I do.”