Kofi Inkoom
In June, the Boston Celtics traded Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies. Celtics’ standout Jayson Tatum had a conversation with Jeff Goodman of The Messenger, discussing various Celtics-related matters, notably addressing Marcus Smart’s departure.
Tatum openly shared his thoughts on his former teammate, who was part of a three-team trade that brought Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics.
Tatum acknowledged that he’ll miss Smart, their six-year partnership having seen them through thick and thin. He expressed a genuine desire for Smart to have stayed his teammate indefinitely.
“I am for sure going to miss Smart,” Tatum shared with Jeff. “He was my teammate for six years and we’ve been through it all. We had good moments together, we had bad moments together. He’s somebody that I wish was going be my teammate forever.”
Marcus Smart, aged 29, spent an impressive nine seasons as a member of the esteemed Celtics organization.
Throughout the 2022-23 regular season, he maintained strong stats, averaging 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game across 61 appearances, all of which he started.
Marcus Smart Wins #KiaDPOY Defensive Player of the Year! #NBA #MarcusSmart #BestOfNBA #NBASeason pic.twitter.com/U1UcTYr19V
— NBA Life (@NBALife09) August 30, 2023
Smart was widely recognized as one of the NBA’s top perimeter defenders during his tenure with the Celtics, earning three All-Defensive Team selections and clinching the Defensive Player of the Year award for the 2021-22 season.
Furthermore, Smart played an indispensable role in the 2021-22 Celtics squad that made it to the NBA Finals. As Jayson Tatum’s remarks suggest, both players and fans in Boston will undoubtedly feel the absence of Smart’s presence.