'Very special place': Marcus Smart thanks fans, teammates after 9 years in Boston
BOSTON - Marcus Smart was shocked and hurt when the Boston Celtics traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies. On Friday, he said thank you to Boston and Celtics fans.
On Twitter, Smart said he came to Boston as a "naïve kid from Dallas." The guard played for the Celtics for nine years.
"Boston, you are a very special place to me," Smart said. "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."
Goodbyes are hard.
— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) June 23, 2023
But the future is exciting. pic.twitter.com/hULgrVXkmi
Celtics' president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was emotional saying goodbye to Smart.
"The greatest legacy you can leave is to leave a place and it's better off because you were there," Stevens said Friday. "I think that everybody here feels that way. I think that he will always be appreciated and thought of so fondly here for any number of reasons."
Smart was the longest-tenured member of the Celtics.