Grizzlies’ Smart reflects on 9 seasons with Celtics
Marcus Smart couldn’t stop smiling. The former Boston Celtics guard and current Memphis Grizzlies player flashed a smile from the bench with 4:41 left in the fourth quarter of the Grizzlies-celtics game as “Thank you Marcus” chants echoed through the Boston crowd at TD Garden.
Smart, who is currently out with a right-hand injury, returned to Boston for the first time Sunday after playing nine seasons for the Celtics. That ovation was one of many the 10-year veteran received before and throughout the game.
Smart was unable to suit up during the Grizzlies’ 131-91 loss, but it felt as if that hardly dampened the feelings. A little more than half a year after being traded from the Celtics to the Grizzlies, Smart reflected on what the Boston organization and fans meant to him.
“They allowed me to grow,” Smart said before Sunday’s game. “They allowed me to see a different side of myself, and they watched me become a man. They definitely have shaped my life.”
During an early timeout in the first quarter, Smart was honored with a twominute tribute video of his time in Boston that included a standing ovation. Smart waved his hand to the crowd in appreciation, and the fans later started a “We love Marcus” chant.
Smart started 360 regular season games for Boston and another 73 in the playoffs. He won the NBA’S Defensive Player of the Year award two seasons ago when the Celtics reached the NBA Finals.
What made Smart so loved in Boston wasn’t just his work on the court. The Celtics also honored Smart in the second quarter after he was named the
“Hero Among Us” for his Youngamechanger Foundation and its work in the Boston community.
The YGC Foundation has a mission to help young inner-city student-athletes become Gamechangers on and off the court or field. After being traded to the Grizzlies last summer, Smart said he planned on making an impact in Memphis with his foundation, and he’s already started that process after hosting his annual bowling bash fundraiser in Memphis last November.
“It was critical for me to hit the ground running in Memphis,” Smart said. “Just for the simple fact that’s who I am. I built a legacy out here in Boston, and I wanted to live up to that name —Youngamechanger — I wanted to continue to change lives in a multitude of ways.”
Even though he has only played 20 games with the Grizzlies, Smart’s oncourt impact has been felt. He is constantly in the ears of teammates challenging them to be better, and whether it’s a missed call or wanting clarity in something, he’s often in the ear of the referees during timeouts.
“He’s put his arms around so many of our young guys,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said.