Marcus Smart's Final Goodbye To Celtics Fans And The City Of Boston Felt Like A Shotgun Blast Right To The Chest
MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images. Getty Images.At some point, I'll be able to move on from Marcus Smart. We're not there yet given the fact that this trade just happened, and obviously with Tatum weighing in yesterday and then Brad last night, this still an ongoing topic. The one thing we hadn't heard yet is Marcus' farewell. Something I'm not sure I ever really thought we'd be getting here in 2023. Given that even Paul Pierce was traded it's silly to think guys will be on this team forever, but here we are.
Well, now we have it
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While my rational brain knew this was a done deal, it didn't really set in for me until I read that post. I dunno how else to really explain it. Like yeah, we all knew he was traded. Yeah, we all saw the tweets and posts from the Celts and Grizzlies. Yeah, we saw the Tatum IG post. Even still, now it feels really real if that makes any sense. I'm sure it doesn't as I am once again thrown into a glass case of emotion, but at least now there's closure.
Regardless of what you thought about Smart as a player, something that will NEVER be agreed upon among Celts fans, I've spent these last few days thinking about what makes this goodbye/trade different from some of the others we've lived through. In terms of an emotional gut punch, I kept going back to the Isaiah trade. Again, take the talent out of it because that's not really what I'm talking about with this.
Much like Isaiah, this was a trade of someone who fully embraced this city. He loved Boston. He wanted to be in Boston. He made an impact in the community of Boston. The same way Isaiah seemed to be woven into the fabric of the city during his 2.5 years as a Celtic, the exact same thing is true of Smart's 9 years. Not only did he embrace the city, he embraced being a Celtic. He wore that shit with pride. If you're truly honest with yourself, how many players over the last decade can you say that about? Like Isaiah, he was one of us. He bled green. Sure there may have been on the court limitations. Sure he did shit that sometimes made you want to rip your hair out, but that's basketball. At least for me, that's what has made these last few days so brutal. We went through the depths of NBA rebuilding hell with Smart and not once did he ever demand a trade. Not once did he ever run from that grind. If anything, he embraced it. I think that's mostly what I'll remember about the Marcus Smart Experience.
As with most things, this feeling will pass over time. Just like it did with Pierce and KG after their trade, and then Rondo and his trade, and then Isaiah. But now that the deal is finalized and the final goodbyes have been given, we have no choice but to turn the page, as weird as that may feel.
All we can do now is continue to trust that Brad knows what he's doing. I certainly have questions about this roster as it stands right now, and that's where the rest of the summer comes in. This is arguably the biggest gamble of Brad's tenure as the boss, and if the Celtics still don't win the title then it's only going to make this tougher to accept.