BOSTON — Marcus Smart waited nearly two years before, once again, taking the floor at TD Garden and competing against his old Celtics teammates.
The now-Grizzlies guard, finally, got his chance during Saturday night’s Boston-Memphis battle in Beantown, allowing Smart to embrace the warm reception when checking in during the first quarter. Thousands of Celtics fans in attendance rose to their feet and applauded the former Boston favorite, to which Smart responded with an appreciative hand raise.
Smart first returned to Boston as a member of the Grizzlies during last season’s Feb. 4 meeting, however, due to a finger injury he wasn’t able to suit up. The Celtics still expressed their gratitude for Smart’s nine seasons with the organization and presented him with a tribute video while also honoring him as the night’s “Hero Among Us” — highlighting a dedicated individual making a difference in the community.
Memphis had Smart listed as questionable entering the night with an ankle injury and he even drew blood during an accidental head-to-head collision during Saturday’s shootaround. Still, neither of those were capable of keeping Smart from competing, showing that nothing’s changed since Smart left Boston.
“It was a great trade, business-wise,” Smart said during Saturday’s practice, per Bobby Manning of CLNS Media. “Just wish, you know, would have went about it a little bit differently, just letting me know. That way I wasn’t just blindsided, and I could have prepared for it and got my family ready.”
