The Boston Celtics won the NBA Finals with a new and improved team in the 2023-24 season.
Built by Brad Stevens, the Celtics added center Kristaps Porzingis and guard Jrue Holiday, but it ended up costing them their longest tenured player and the Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Smart.
Smart was the trade piece to acquire Porzingis from Washington in a three-team deal sending Smart to Memphis.
He was with Boston for the first nine-years of his career, advancing to the playoffs each year, the Eastern Conference Finals five times, and the NBA Finals once.
Smart joined Theo Pinson for an episode of the Run Your Race Podcast. He reflected on all the years he spent in Boston and the work he put in with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum while also congratulating them on winning the Finals.
“It was great to see those two guys come in the way that they came in and dominated… there was no stopping them from the start… shoutout to Jaylen, Jayson, and the Boston Celtics, congratulations on the championship.”
“They built that. They went through the mud. They didn’t skip any steps- I was there with them for nine-years. I’ve seen it. It’s no coincidence that they reached their goal now. I’m just so proud of them, I’m proud to be able to be in the trenches with them, to know those guys and be able to go to work everyday that I had the chance to do it.”
Smart goes on to explain that he understands people want him to be “salty” towards the Celtics for trading him and winning without him, but he’s not. He’s just happy and proud of his former teammates and his team.
Smart is the only player in franchise history to play for the team as long as he did and not win a championship. He is, however, one of the top players in Celtics history through his longevity and stats.
He may even see his No. 36 retired one day.
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Photo Credit: Matt Stone, Media News Group, Boston Herald, Getty Images
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