Say it ain't so: Marcus Smart was the perfect Boston Celtic – and now he's a Laker

This one hurts – badly.

I'll start this off by providing the context that I am a die-hard Boston Celtics fan. Was I born and raised a fan? No. I adopted the franchise in the summer of 2007, when I was 12 years old. They had just traded for my favorite player, Kevin Garnett.

Garnett was not simply another great player. He was the single most intense athlete ever to walk the planet. He played every second of every game like his life depended on the next bucket. He was everything Boston looks for in their best players. He was the perfect Celtic.

Boston would win the 2007/2008 title, hanging the franchise's 17th banner and eventually hanging KG's #5 along with it – immortalizing him in Celtics lore forever.

So, that's your context. I'll continue with the blog.

This one hurts. Marcus Smart, a former Boston Celtic and recent Washington Wizard, was just bought out by Washington. This move allowed Washington to continue building around their youth and let Smart look for a contender to join. There were even whispers of a potential reunion with Boston.

The exact opposite happened. Smart signed a two-year, $11 million deal with Boston's sworn enemy, the Los Angeles Lakers. Any other outcome would have been manageable. I would hate it, but I can live with Marcus Smart the Sixer, Knick, or Warrior. But the Laker? No. Not even for a second.

It isn't the first time a former Celtic eventually donned the purple and gold. Rick Fox did it, Isaiah Thomas did it, and Rajon Rondo did it. But this... this one hurts.

Why does this one hurt so bad? They never raised a banner with him. They've raised a banner without him since. He's been gone for multiple years now. The reaction may sound dramatic. But it's not. And to understand why it hurts, we'll have to rewind once again.

Smart from the start

It was the summer of 2013. Kevin Garnett was on his last legs. He's a shell of what was once the greatest defender in the world. Paul Pierce, while still a bucket-getter, was no longer a star in this league. Ray Allen, the third member of the "Big Three," had long since departed for Miami. The only remaining star was point guard Rajon Rondo, but he was proving not quite good enough to carry a weighted load.

The writing was on the wall, and it was in bold font.

Former Boston Celtics world champion and current GM, Danny Ainge, was not about to watch his aging stars hamper his ability to rebuild. Despite the outrage it might incur, he decided in July to send Garnett and Pierce to Brooklyn in exchange for a multitude of draft picks that would turn into Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. And while the story is now often told that after a bad year or two, the "Jays" came and saved the day, that doesn't tell the whole story. Before we even got there, a lot was to happen.

The Celtics were officially rebuilding. Head Coach Doc Rivers opted for the bright lights of LA (no, not the Lakers) and joined Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and the rest of the "Lob City" Clippers. They brought in a wonderkind to replace Doc, in Brad Stevens of Butler. Everything was different overnight. Rajon Rondo would not be a part of the rebuild, as he was unceremoniously shipped to Dallas after an abysmal 2013/2014 season for Boston.

The first young prospect that the Celtics selected to be a part of their future core was not someone whose name started with "Jay." It was their first-round draft pick out of Oklahoma State in the summer of 2014. He was known as an elite perimeter defender, with excellent distribution skills, and an inconsistent jump shot at best. His name was Marcus Smart.

All I knew about him was that he was a pretty good guard from Oklahoma State, who received rave reviews after being the only college player invited to Team USA's mini-camp in 2013. He was also that guy who shoved a fan in the front row of a Texas Tech game for calling him the "N-word" one time. So that was pretty cool.

But he turned into much more than that. While the evil genius that would become Brad Stevens was continuing to learn how to coach pro-ball, and the team started to improve on its 25-win output the season prior, one name kept popping up over and over and over again – Smart.

If a ball was deflected and meagerly bouncing out of play, Smart was diving head-first to retain or gain possession. If a guy got hot and scored a few points, Smart was taking the assignment. If the game was getting tight in the closing minutes, Smart was the one who made the deciding play.

He wasn't making all his jump shots, and he wasn't generating many of his own points, but it felt like he was making the big defensive stop every night. You'd be watching a meaningless game against the Clippers or Bulls in January, and out of nowhere, Marcus Smart is completely locking up Chris Paul or Derrick Rose. You started thinking, "This is pretty good."

He would frustrate you as a fan. "Why are you taking that three? How did you lose that ball? How did you miss that shot by that much?" But he would always make up for it. Sure, it took him a while to become a solid offensive player, but you couldn't replicate the fire and energy he was bringing.

Eventually, it wasn't just defending guards and making hustle plays. All of a sudden, you'd look at the screen, and Marcus Smart got switched onto a Center. Instead of trying to switch back or getting demolished on the block, Smart would stand his ground and wouldn't give an inch. All of a sudden, this kid was guarding all five positions. You continue to think, "What is this?"

Then, his offense began to show signs of life. He began displaying the intelligent playmaking that helped make him a highly touted prospect, consistently creating opportunities for those around him. He started making passes that were – dare I say – Rondo-esque? His jumpshot never got great. But it became solid. And he became adept at maneuvering the pick-and-roll. He also slowly learned to move without the ball and how to score off passes. He started to demand more and more minutes as you needed him on the floor for defense, and he could do a little bit of everything on offense. "No... really. What is this?"

It eventually became clear that Smart was here to stay. The sixth pick in the draft was a hit, and his first few seasons proved that. He morphed into a playmaking hybrid guard who can defend the entire floor as well as anyone. And his trademark hustle and passion endeared him to the fans who pined for the days of Larry Bird and Kevin Garnett-level intensity.

What Marcus Smart was bringing to the Celtics was more than a good young asset. He brought a culture and an identity that the Celtics lacked, but desperately needed following the end of the Big Three era.

Becoming Mr. Celtic

By his second season, though not a juggernaut, the Celtics were a serious playoff team. This was largely due to the rise of point guard Isaiah Thomas, who was acquired the previous season and became an all-star during his time in Boston. The Celtics would go on to sign Al Horford in 2016, arguably the biggest free agent acquisition in franchise history.

As Brad Stevens began to sculpt his reputation as a boy genius, and other solid players like Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder came into their own, the Celtics proved to be a solid group.

The heart and soul of that group was Marcus Smart. He brought a great deal of diversity to the floor. You could stick him at point guard and ask him to run the offense with no worries. You could have him play two-guard and score when the opportunity presented itself. He could guard one through five on the floor, so you could construct any lineup around him that you wanted.

Smart was present for so many crucial and memorable pieces of Celtics history. He was there for the "Isaiah Thomas Game" in 2017, in which the Celtics defeated Washington in the conference semifinals on the strength of Thomas' 53 points, just days after the passing of his sister. He was there for not only the signing of Horford, but the signing of Gordon Hayward in the summer of 2017, which was considered even bigger than the Horford acquisition at the time.

He was there for the blockbuster trade that sent Isaiah Thomas to Cleveland for the embattled Kyrie Irving. He was there when Gordon Hayward obliterated his leg on opening night in 2017. He was there through the entire Kyrie Irving era, which resulted in nothing but drama and disappointment.

He was there through it all. Through incredible ups and ridiculous downs, he was the backbone that sustained. And nothing exemplified his intensity, his spirit, and his will to win at all costs more than the "Marcus Smart Game." Unless you're a huge Celtics fan or an NBA junkie, you probably don't even know this moment exists.

It's December 2017. The Celtics are taking on Houston. Boston was without Jaylen Brown, and Houston was without Chris Paul. Very quickly, the Celtics fell behind. By half-time, they were down 24 points.

In the second half, though, Boston came roaring back. It all culminated with Smart taking multiple pre-inbound charges against James Harden in the final 10 seconds, frustrating the all-world guard and helping to secure a dramatic 26-point comeback win against Houston at the Garden. As someone who was there that night, the love for Marcus Smart was tangible. It was electric. It was simply his night.

And as the Celtics limped out of the Kyrie era, he was there to provide stability as they shuffled through multiple roster groupings, kicked off by the addition of Kemba Walker the following year. However, it became clear that, especially by 2019, the franchise had a specific direction it had to take. Their duo of budding young superstars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, started to look good – really good. They had to ride that wave and build around it.

So Smart was there as the Celtics ushered in the era of "the Jays," and proved to be the perfect number three to hold down the perimeter. Regardless of the franchise's direction, he adapted. He adjusted to whatever was best for Boston. He fit seamlessly in every scenario. He was maleable.

He also started to dye his hair green and occasionally braided a four-leaf clover into his hair, which was awesome.

He truly was becoming the embodiment of Celtic pride.

So close, so many times

Following the 2020/2021 season, in which the Celtics fell to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, Brad Stevens decided to step away from coaching. He took over Danny Ainge's role as General Manager, who was supposedly "retiring" (he would wind up in Utah months later). The Celtics hired well-regarded Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Ime Udoka to replace Stevens.

Despite a tough first half of the 2021/2022 season, the Celtics would make a flurry of mid-season moves that launched them into championship contention. This season also featured Smart pulling off his greatest professional accomplishment yet. He was awarded Defensive Player of the Year, the first guard to do so since "The Glove" Gary Payton.

The Celtics finally got past the Eastern Conference and played the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals that year. But they unfortunately lost in six games after holding a 2-1 lead.

Then, more change. Ime Udoka was suspended after violating team rules (he had an affair with one of the higher-ups' wives), and a completely unknown assistant, Joe Mazzulla, took over. Once again, Smart and the Celtics adapted.

They met Miami in the 2023 conference finals, and immediately fell behind three games to zero. Boston would then ferociously storm back to tie the series 3-3 on a miraculous last-second tip-in by Derrick White. It had the makings of one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.

But... it didn't happen. Jayson Tatum got hurt in game seven, and the Celtics got pummeled. No matter how close they got, the Celtics always came up just a little bit short every time. An 18th banner felt like a pipe dream. And that's when the franchise decided to make a move. This time, though, Smart wouldn't even have the opportunity to adapt, at least not in Boston.

The unthinkable

Marcus Smart was traded. It was a very similar feeling to the one I have today. It hurt. It hurt badly.

Green hair and all, Smart packed his bags for Memphis, Tennessee, to join Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. It didn't even feel real. Marcus Smart playing professional basketball in anything other than Kelly Green Boston Celtics garb didn't seem possible.

Smart's tenure with Boston was just about as successful as it gets. In his nine seasons, the Celtics never failed to make the playoffs. He appeared in six Conference Finals, an NBA Finals, and was named an all-defensive first-teamer three times, along with his Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021. He was around for just about a decade and witnessed nothing but overwhelming success.

I spoke earlier about how Kevin Garnett was the perfect Celtic. He was. And when KG left, so did the culture... temporarily. Marcus Smart was the first Celtic after Garnett to establish Celtic pride as a foundation for the next generation. He was the one to lead that culture. He had become the perfect Celtic, taking KG's place. Despite never winning it all, I can personally say he became my second-favorite Celtic ever.

And now, he was gone.

And strangely enough, as all fans know, it worked out very well in the end. The move made it possible to bring in both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. This iteration of the Celtics would finally do it. In 2024, they brought home that elusive 18th world championship. It was the culmination of an 11-year odyssey that began in July of 2013.

But one thing was missing. It was Marcus Smart.

As the Celtics paraded around the city with the Larry O'Brien trophy and swept confetti off the parquet floor, Marcus Smart didn't. And that was sad. Without him, that title does not exist. But he doesn't get to celebrate it.

As we gloated all offseason, and even all of the next regular season, we watched Marcus go from Memphis to Washington, a step toward irrelevancy. I always wanted to see him come back to Boston. But if that wasn't possible, I always hoped he'd at least find his way to a contender, so that he didn't waste away his final days. He remains a very valuable asset to have, and he can make a difference in a title run.

I did not want that contender to be the Lakers, though. Just imagining him high-fiving Luka in that ugly "gold" jersey (it's actually yellow) makes me sick. I don't think it will happen, but even the idea that he could win a title as a Laker is enough to make me consider never watching basketball again (not actually, but you get it).

Imagine him hoisting a Larry O'Brien trophy in purple? I refuse.

Now we must sit and watch as our former beloved Smart begins his chapter with the enemy. There is not much else to say. It's all emotion. It stinks. I wish the best for Smart as a person, but now we have to hope he fails on the court.

Maybe they end up moving him during the season. Perhaps it doesn't work out, they don't win, and it's a short-lived stint. Who knows? I don't. All I know is, this sucks. And in a few months, when he runs out on that LA floor, it's only going to suck worse.

The one thing that is certain right now is that when they write the official history of the Celtics, the Marcus Smart chapter will be a long and complicated one.