When the Celtics won their record 18th NBA championship, the jubilation was evident as the team finally got back to the mountaintop. But there were certainly some fans who missed those players who helped build the C’s up over the years, including former Boston guard Marcus Smart.
Smart spent the first nine seasons of his career in Boston as a fan favorite, and some supporters were heartbroken when he was traded last summer. Smart made his first public comments about the C’s winning it all in an appearance on “Tidal League,” talking about some of the emotions he felt. There weren’t any negative thoughts, though, as he embraced his former teammates.
“Shout out to Jaylen (Brown), Jayson (Tatum) and the Boston Celtics — congratulations on the championship,” Smart said. “They built that. They went through the mud. They didn’t skip any steps. I was there with them for nine years of my career. I’ve seen it. It’s no coincidence that they reached their goal now. I’m just so proud of them.
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“I’m proud to be able to be in the trenches with them and to know those guys and to be able to go to work with them that I had the chance to do. I know everybody’s expecting me to be salty or (expletive). There’s no hard feelings from me.”
Smart admitted it was “bittersweet” watching them win it all, which was also his first season away from the team. While Smart was the team’s emotional leader and heartbeat, the front office elected to include him in the Kristaps Porzingis deal last summer, also netting them draft capital.
It was a huge shakeup for a team still looking to get over the hump. The Celtics got close to a title multiple times with Smart as a core member, though they came up just short. But the C’s finally got on top again, and Smart was right there cheering on his former team and city.
“It’s definitely tough because I was in the trenches with them,” Smart said. “To be able to not finish what you started with those guys, it’s definitely tough. But my wife will tell ya, I was screaming for those guys when they won it just as much as everyone else. Like I said, I have love for those guys and I know the work that they put in.”
