BOSTON — Up until early Thursday morning, Marcus Smart was the longest-tenured Celtic and the unanimous “heart and soul” of the organization by all those polled around it.
On Friday, Smart took to Twitter to the only NBA he’s ever known as he prepares to head to Memphis as part of the three-team deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston.
“Where do I even begin...,” Smart wrote. “As I start to think about the last 9 years I have a lot of emotion running through me. 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 ass off and make sure I EARNED the respect of each and every one of the fans in Boston. Which is why this is tough.
“Boston, you are a special place to me. 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. Im going to miss so many things about Boston but mainly my teammates, fans and kids and our hospital charity work. It was a great nine years in Boston, thank you for all the love... but now it’s time to look forward.”
Drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Smart never missed the playoffs in Boston and quickly became a fan favorite. Playing with the tenacity and intensity fans came to expect during the Kevin Garnett era, Smart’s hustle plays frequently sent the TD Garden faithful and announcer Tommy Heinsiohn into hysterics.
In addition to the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year trophy, Smart departs Boston ranking fourth on the franchise’s career lists for 3-pointers (911) and assists (2,700).
The Oklahoma product brings much-needed experience to a young Memphis team that needs help at point guard following the announcement of Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension for next season.
Smart also let Grizzlies fans know he’s prepared to bring all that made him beloved in Boston to Memphis.
“I can’t wait to get to Memphis and get started. We have something special brewing here! Am blessed to be a part of Grizzly nation. Let’s get to work.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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