After a surprise trade to the Grizzlies, Marcus Smart bids the city of Boston a tearful farewell with the words, “Goodbyes are hard.” The “C-Green Smash Machine” Boston Celtics announced on June 22 that Marcus Smart would be moved to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a three-team deal. During his nine seasons with the Celtics, Smart made the playoffs each year.
Nonetheless, Smart was used as a makeweight for Kristaps Porzingis due to Boston’s guard positional crisis and speculations that Malcolm Brogdon was ‘untradeable’ because of his injury. Due to his level of dedication on the court and his philanthropy off it, Smart had become a true fan favorite during his time with the Boston Celtics. Thus, Celtics supporters were very upset by the move.
Marcus Smart’s message to Celtics fans
Marcus Smart, though, thanked Boston and its supporters in a tweet he titled “Never forget my time here” on June 23 before expressing his delight to be joining the Grizzlies. Together with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Smart served as the de facto third friend.
Off the court, Smart was a dedicated and active part of the Boston community who worked with hospitals and youth organizations to bring about positive change. In Boston, Smart “will always be appreciated and thought of so fondly,” as Celtics president Brad Stevens recently phrased it.
Goodbyes are hard.
But the future is exciting. pic.twitter.com/hULgrVXkmi— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) June 23, 2023
That affection was shared, as Smart used social media to express his gratitude to Celtics supporters and his excitement for the start of a new era in Memphis. “As I start to think about the last 9 years,” Smart said. “I have a lot of emotions running thru me. I came to Boston as a naive kid from Dallas not 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.”
Marcus Smart took to social media to thank Celtics fans and the city of Boston in a heartfelt message. https://t.co/JcgSuYMsRK
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 23, 2023
“Boston, you are a very special place to me. I grew up here and met some of my best friends here. I’ll never forget my time here.” Before focusing on the next chapter of Grizzlies, Smart talked about his pride in what he had accomplished with the Celtics and in the amazing city of “Beantown” Boston.
How will Marcus Smart fit in the Grizzlies system?
Generally, people adore this decision for Memphis. Tyus had already filled in for Ja “Warrant” Morant, who will miss the first 25 games of the upcoming season, but Smart surprisingly offers more. During Morant’s suspension, Smart can start in Morant’s place and effectively manage the offense while also defending perimeter scorers on the other end of the court.
When Morant comes back, Smart will essentially assume Dillon Brooks’ position, pursuing opponents and employing an off-ball offensive strategy. He is a huge improvement over Brooks. In addition to having greater experience in big games, Smart also relies less on antics and is a far more complete offensive player.
Despite not being a tremendous three-point shooter, Smart is significantly more reliable than Brooks. Although it will be hard to see Smart wearing any other color than green, Memphis is the ideal place for his tough demeanor. The rest of the Grizzlies team will surely get along well with Marcus Smart since he is a dependable and equally hardworking player.
