Before being traded to the Grizzlies this week, Marcus Smart spent his entire career with the Celtics, starting from when he was drafted with the No. 6 pick in the 2014 draft. In his nine years with Boston, he became a leader on a Celtics team that is one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
For the first time since the trade, Smart said goodbye to Celtics fans following his nine years in Boston.
“I came to Boston as a naive kid from Dallas not really knowing what to expect,” he wrote on Twitter. “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.”
Smart called Boston a “very special place” where he made some of his best friends and grew up. While the franchise never did win a championship in that span, Smart said that doesn’t mean his time with the Celtics was a failure.
Goodbyes are hard.
— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) June 23, 2023
But the future is exciting. pic.twitter.com/hULgrVXkmi
In his time in Boston, Smart was always willing to give back to the community, something that made him such a fixture in the city.
“Ultimately, we didn’t get that 18th banner but I’m VERY VERY proud of the success we had,” he said, “I’m going to miss so many things about Boston but mainly my teammates, fans and kids and our hospital charity work.”
As he heads to Memphis, Smart said he is looking forward to playing for his new team in his new city.
“I can’t wait to get to Memphis and get started,” he said. “We have something special brewing here! Am blessed to be part of Grizzly nation. Let’s get to work.”
