After repeatedly coming up short in their quest to win an NBA championship, the Boston Celtics decided it was time for them to make a big move. That move was to acquire Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team deal with the Washington Wizards and the Memphis Grizzlies.
To land the Latvian though, the Celtics had to part with Marcus Smart, bringing an end to his nine-year tenure with the team. It was a shocking decision and Smart released an emotional statement to say goodbye to the team and the fans.
“Where do I even begin…as I start to think about the last 9 years I have a lot of emotions running thru me,” Smart wrote. “I came to Boston as a naive kid from Dallas not really knowing what to expect. All I knew was the type of work ethic my momma instilled in me and I was going to work my a** off and make sure I EARNED the respect of each and every one of the fans in Boston. Which is why this was tuff.”
“Boston, you are a very special place to me,” Smart continued. “I grew up here and met some of my best friends here. I’ll never forget my time here. Ultimately, we didn’t get that 18th banner but I’m VERY VERY proud of the success we had. I’m going to miss so many things about Boston but mainly my teammates, fans, and kids and our hospital charity work.”
“It was a great 9 years Boston, thank you for all the love…but now it’s time to look forward,” Smart stated.
“I can’t wait to get to Memphis and get started. We have something special brewing here! Am blessed to be part of Grizzly nation. Let’s get to work,” Smart concluded.
Goodbyes are hard.
But the future is exciting. pic.twitter.com/hULgrVXkmi
— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) June 23, 2023
A lot of Celtics fans are certainly not happy to see him go, as he was the heart and soul of the team. Smart was a very popular figure in Boston and trading him away could be a big mistake. Jayson Tatum shared a heartfelt message after his departure and Smart’s absence is certainly going to be felt in the locker room.
Marcus Smart Was Shocked That He Was Traded
If Celtics fans were hurt by the team trading him away, you can imagine what it was like for Smart. It was reported the trade was a gut punch for him and a complete shock.
Smart thought he’d retire as a Celtic, but it wasn’t to be. He finishes his tenure with the team with averages of 10.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 0.4 BPG. He won DPOY as well in 2022 and almost won a championship the same year, but they lost in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors.
He now shifts his attention toward becoming a key contributor for the Grizzlies and helping a young team on and off the court.
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