Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart will miss several weeks of action with injury as his team announced last week and the first game he was unable to play was against his former team, the Boston Celtics.
Prior to Sunday’s contest, Smart talked about the fact that he would not play against his former team and the reason that he felt devastated missing it in an interview with Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston.
He also referred to the way his time in Boston wants to be remembered and his relationship with the organization after leaving on a trade to Memphis last offseason. In a previous interview, Marcus Smart appeared surprised and sore by the Celtics’ decision to offload him as a part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal.
“The whole life I embodied of being a Celtic in the franchise, the organization. And everybody that came before me. I laid it out on the line day in and day out, like every game was my last. And just being part of that upper echelon of guys who wore that uniform and left it all out there and gave everything to it.
“So, that’s really it. I’m very thankful for my time and it’s all love. It’s still love. And I grew up there, so like I said, it’s still love and it’s always gonna be a place in my heart for Boston.”
Marcus Smart came to the Grizzlies hoping to bring the winning culture that he embodied during his time in Boston. However, the season gas been tough for Memphis so far as the team is dealing with a vast number of issues including not having superstar Ja Morant available.
Marcus Smart averaged 12.5 points, 5.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals through his first 11 games with Memphis. After a tough loss to Boston on Sunday, the Grizzlies (3-10) will return to action on Wednesday for a game against the Houston Rockets (6-5).
