When Marcus Smart will make his first visit to Boston with Grizzlies and other notable dates on Celtics schedule

BOSTON -- The 2023-24 NBA schedule was released Thursday, and for Celtics fans, there is one date that warrants circling 100 times on the calendar. That would be Marcus Smart's first trip back to Boston as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Celtics made the stunning decision to trade away Smart over the offseason, sending him to Memphis in a three-team trade that landed Kristaps Porzingis in green. It sent away the longest-tenured member of the team, with Smart having spent the first nine years of his NBA career in Boston.

Boston fans will get to see Smart in his new Grizzlies uniform in-person on Sunday, February 4, when Memphis visits TD Garden for the first and only time during the regular season. The Celtics will make their only trip to Memphis a few months prior and face their former teammate for the first time on November 19. 

As for other notable dates on the 2023-24 Celtics schedule, it all gets started on Wednesday, October 25 when the C's tip off the new season against the Knicks in New York. The Celtics will have their home opener a few nights later in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch against the Miami Heat at TD Garden on Friday, October 27, which will be Miami's only visit to Boston during the regular season.

The Celtics are in Miami twice during the regular season: Thursday, January 25 and Sunday, February 11. Both games will air on national TV. 

The Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks are Boston's other big foes in the East, and they'll get an early look at both teams. The C's head to Philly on back-to-back Wednesdays in November, first on Nov. 8 and then again on Nov. 15. The 76ers come to Boston on Friday, December 1, and then again on Tuesday, February 27. 

The Celtics will first see Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks when they come to Boston on Wednesday, November 22. The C's visit the Bucks on Thursday, January 11, but then won't see Milwaukee for over two months. The Bucks are back in Boston on Wednesday, March 20, with the Celtics back in Milwaukee on Tuesday, April 9.

As for Boston's biggest rival out west, the C's will visit the Lakers for a Christmas Day clash at 5 p.m. LeBron James and company will be in town on Thursday, February 1, which will air on TNT.

And for another reunion, Grant Williams -- who signed with Dallas in the offseason -- will be back in Boston with the Mavs (and some guy named Kyrie) on Friday, March 1. The Celtics visit Williams and the Mavs earlier in the season, on Monday, January 22.

Overall the Celtics will be on national television 27 times during the 2023-24 season, so it's clear the NBA is very high on the Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis trio.

Other schedule notes....

• The defending champion Denver Nuggets make their only visit to Boston on Friday, January 19. The Celtics are in Denver on Thursday, March 7.
• The C's visit the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, December 19, while the Warriors come to town on Sunday, March 3.
• The Celtics will enjoy a 7-game homestand from Jan. 27 through Feb. 9. The Clippers, Lakers and Grizzlies are all part of that homestand.
• Boston has a few long trips toward the end of the season. The C's hit the road for five games from March 5-12, visiting the Cavs, Nuggets, Suns, Blazers, and Jazz, and then are gone for a six-game trip from March 22 through April 1, visiting the Pistons, Bulls, Hawks (twice), Pelicans, and Hornets.
• The inaugural In-Season Tournament will start for the Celtics when they host the Nets on Friday, November 10 and the Bulls on Tuesday, November 28 at TD Garden. The Celtics will play the Raptors in Toronto on Friday, November 17 and the Magic in Orlando on Friday, November 24 to conclude Group Play.