Marcus Smart played nine seasons with the Boston Celtics, helping them reach several Eastern Conference Finals and even an NBA Finals. However, they never won the championship during his time there.
Last summer, Smart was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum then led the Celtics to their 18th championship, beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games.
It’s easy to think Smart might be upset after putting so much effort into the team only to see them win after he left. But he isn’t mad about it. He called it “bittersweet” and praised his former teammates on the Tidal League podcast.
Smart’s Reaction:
“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,” Smart said during his appearance on the podcast.
“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 👀
— Tidal League (@TidalLeague)
“I’m just so proud of them,” Smart continued. “I’m proud to have been in the trenches with them, knowing those guys and working with them every day.”
Smart won Defensive Player of the Year once and was a three-time first-team All-Defense selection while playing for Boston. The Celtics were often criticized for not winning big games over recent years .
For fans, it’s heartwarming to see how maturely Smart handled this situation by praising his old team instead of being bitter about it. It shows what kind of person he is both on and off the court.
What do you think about Marcus Smart’s reaction?
