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The Boston Celtics made quite the shakeup when they traded their longest-tenured player, Marcus Smart, to the Memphis Grizzlies. Smart admitted to Chris Vernon of Grind City that because of the rapport he’s had with his teammates over the years in Boston, finding out that he was traded made him cry.
“I did cry,” Smart said. “I have cried. I’ve cried because of the special relationship I have with the guys. I grew up with Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum) their whole career, all of those other guys, even Al (Horford). Like I said before, a lot of those guys, Al, Jaylen, Jayson, and those guys, when my mom passed away, they were there. They’ve been through tough times with me, so it was tough. Not only that, I’ve been there my whole life, so that was tough.”
Smart also admitted he cried because he’s excited for the next chapter in his career and what Tatum and Brown will do now with him gone.
“I also cried because I was excited as well because I get to start a new journey in my life,” Smart said. “I’ve done everything I could do with that team. Jaylen and Jayson are great players and now it’s their time to grow into their own. That’s okay, that’s what it is but it was tough leaving those guys.”
Marcus Smart Understands Strong Celtics Fans Reactions
Celtics fans were distraught upon finding out that the team had traded Smart. During his introductory press conference with the Grizzlies on June 7, Smart himself said he understood why the fans were upset that he had been traded.
“The fan reaction in the city of Boston was exactly what I expect it to be and what anybody who’s played in Boston would expect it to be. It’s all love. They ride for this city hard, man,” Smart said, per NBC Sports Boston. “That’s how it should be. You’re supposed to ride for your city like that, so it’s all love. I wasn’t surprised by that.”
Smart was adored by the majority of the fans because of his tenacious defense and infectious energy, among other things. He was also the team’s top playmaker, as he led the Celtics in assists during the 2022-23 season, averaging 6.3 assists a game.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown to Have Bigger Roles
On July 6, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe added that another reason why the Celtics traded Smart was that they felt that both Tatum and Brown too often put the ball in Smart’s hands when times got tough and that trading him forces them to do it themselves.
“There was a sense within the organization that stars Jayson Tatum and Brown sometimes deferred to Smart in big moments and that his departure now leaves no question about who should be guiding this team. Tatum and Brown will be pushed even further into the spotlight, and the Celtics believe they’re ready for any new responsibilities,” Himmelsbach wrote.
With Smart gone, Derrick White is expected to take his place as the team’s starting point guard. However, Himmelsbach’s report indicates they believe Tatum and Brown will be their go-to guys in crunchtime.
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