Boston Celtic

Marcus Smart: ‘Tough’ to See Celtics Win NBA Finals After Being Traded to Grizzlies

Published

5 months ago

June 25, 2024

Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart had mixed emotions when watching his old team, the Boston Celtics, beat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.

During an interview on the Run Your Race podcast, Smart said “there’s no hard feelings” toward Boston. However, he described the Celtics’ title run as “bittersweet” and “definitely tough” because he wasn’t there to enjoy it.

“Shout out to Jaylen (Brown), Jayson (Tatum) and the Boston Celtics on the championship…I’m proud of them…I know everyone is expecting me to be salty.”

Marcus Smart talks about the Celtics’ Championship 👀 pic.twitter.com/qjLYZrbNFs
— Tidal League (@TidalLeague) June 25, 2024

Marcus Smart says Celtics winning the NBA Finals was "bittersweet" but he's "so proud of them" 💚

(via @TidalLeague / Run Your Race Pod) pic.twitter.com/GpuW4mEn47
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 25, 2024

Smart spent his first nine years in the NBA in Boston, and he eventually emerged as the spiritual leader for the Celtics while they consistently challenged for the Eastern Conference crown.

The thoughts of many fans went to the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year as his former teammates were lifting the championship trophy.

Yo for real shout out to Marcus Smart pic.twitter.com/2s889Q8ha7

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 18, 2024

This ending 😭

Heather Walker.
Tommy.
IT.
Avery Bradley.
Marcus Smart.

"For every person that's worked for this organization. For every person that's played for this organization. You've helped move the Celtics organization forward. We're all in it together, and everybody needs… pic.twitter.com/G91e7UfO8z
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) June 25, 2024

I really do feel bad for Marcus Smart. It’s been awesome seeing all the Celtics title stuff these last few days but Marcus has to be partly crushed over this. Dude deserves like an honorary ring or something.
— Steve Perrault (@Steve_Perrault) June 19, 2024

It’s impossible to say whether Boston would’ve reached the Finals and come out on top if it had never traded Smart and largely ran it back with the same roster from 2022-23. Swapping him for Kristaps Porziņģis and subsequently adding Jrue Holiday did make the Celtics stronger on the court, though.

Porziņģis, who was limited to seven playoff games, provided the size and floor-spacing that was desperately needed, while Holiday was basically a more optimized version of Smart.

Whether he has the ring to show for it or not, Smart’s contributions won’t be forgotten in Boston by those who were there to see it. In the coming years, he’s likely to be nearly as synonymous with this era of Celtics basketball as Jayson Tatum and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown are.