On Sunday, for the first time since being traded last summer, Marcus Smart will make his anticipated return to TD Garden.
The ex-Celtic will return to his old stomping grounds as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. After nine years with the C's, Smart was sent to Memphis in the three-team blockbuster trade that brought Kristaps Porzingis from Washington to Boston.
Smart won't suit up due to a finger injury, but there's little doubt it will still be an emotional night for the veteran guard and the fans who watched him make winning plays in Boston for nearly a decade. Ahead of Smart's return, our Abby Chin and Chris Forsberg took some time to reflect on their favorite moments from the former Defensive Player of the Year's Celtics tenure.
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The moment that stands out to Chin has nothing to do with Smart's performance on the court.
🔊 Celtics Talk: Our favorite Marcus Smart moments before his emotional return to TD Garden | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"For nationally televised games that we don't broadcast, I get a player but it's in the back hallway and I am fourth or fifth down on the list, and Marcus was my go-to for that," Chin said on the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast. "He never said no, he was always wonderful and so gracious and giving in those moments. And so, that's what I remember about Marcus is making the game-changing play, and then he was the guy who had the humility and wasn't out there taking credit for it."
Forsberg recalled one of the most memorable "winning plays" moments of Smart's career.
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"The Celtics were down to the Rockets by multiple possessions. It felt like they were out of the game, no chance to win it, and Marcus takes two charges," Forsberg said. "I think he missed a free throw in this sequence too. Just the most absurd sequence where you said, 'Oh, this is what Marcus Smart and winning plays is all about.' In the most dire situations, Marcus is going to do something chaotically crazy and find a way to win."
"You never felt out of it because Marcus was there," Forsberg added. "There were probably like 10 of those games along the way, but I think everyone falls back to that just watching (James) Harden in the height of his Harden-ness."
Sunday's Celtics-Grizzlies matchup is set for 6 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
Also in the episode:
- What do the Celtics miss most about Marcus?
- Players reflect on Smart’s time in Boston