Former Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge pushed for Marcus Smart’s arrival to the organization.
The Los Angeles Lakers recently made headlines for signing Marcus Smart to a two-year, $11 million deal.
A key reason behind the news sending shockwaves through the NBA community was due to Smart’s previous ties with the Boston Celtics.
After all, Smart is part of an elusive list featuring 42 NBA players who have donned the jerseys of both iconic franchises. Putting his move to the Lakers on the back burner, let’s focus on how Smart ended up on the Celtics.
Prior to being the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Smart spent two seasons in the NCAA with Oklahoma State.
Apparently that’s when Smart caught the eye of former Celtics general manager Danny Ainge. In fact, in an instant, Ainge made the decision to draft Smart.
“I want him on my team. I don’t want to play against him. I really appreciated how he played. Like more than what he did as a basketball player, but what he was as a competitor,” Ainge told Celtics.com in 2018.
Ainge added: “He was strong and smart. I just loved watching him play.”
Even though Ainge felt Smart had room to grow as a basketball player, his competitiveness made him push for him.
Well, it turned out to be a great decision as Smart enjoyed a nine-year stint in Boston, including winning the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
Following his move to the Lakers, Smart is aware of the potential backlash he may receive from Celtics fans. After all, many will view it as a betrayal.
But Smart has always thought well of the Celtics and their fanbase. It was evident from what he said in the same 2018 interview.
“I love this city. I grew up here, I’ve been here for a while. I was in Dallas for a certain amount of time, and then I went off to college, but this is where I reside – this is my home.
“So, for me to say that I’m a Bostonian, it’s something that means a lot because Boston has embraced me as an individual, as a player, and for so much more,” Smart stated.
He concluded: “I love Boston, and Boston loves me.”
While these were Smart’s thoughts in 2018, the Celtics essentially double-crossed him when he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the summer of 2023.
