Danny Ainge, former general manager of the Boston Celtics, promoted Marcus Smart’s arrival at the organization.
The Los Angeles Lakers recently created a headline to sign Marcus Smart’s two-year, $11 million deal.
The key reason behind the news sending shockwaves through the NBA community was due to Smart’s previous relationship with the Boston Celtics.
After all, Smart is part of an elusive list featuring 42 NBA players wearing jerseys from both iconic franchises. Let’s focus on putting his move on the Lakers on the backburner and getting smarter for the Celtics.
Before becoming the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Smart spent two seasons with Oklahoma and the NCAA.
Apparently, that’s when Smart caught the eye of former Celtics general manager Danny Einge. In fact, soon Ainge made the decision to make the draft smarter.
“I want him to be with my team. I don’t want to play him. I’m really grateful for how he played. More than anything he did as a basketball player, but he was a rival,” Ainge told Celtics.com in 2018.
Ainge added: “He was strong and clever. I loved watching him play.”
Ainge felt there was room for smart development as a basketball player, but his competitiveness pushed him against him.
Well, it turned out to be a big decision as Smart enjoyed a nine-year stint in Boston, including winning the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
Following the move to the Lakers, Smart is aware of the backlash they may receive from Celtics fans. After all, many view it as betrayal.
But Smart has always thought about the Celtics and their fanbase a lot. It was clear from what he said in the same 2018 interview.
“I love this city. I grew up here. I was here for a while. I was in Dallas for a certain amount of time. And I went to college and this is where I live. This is my home.
“So, to say I’m a Bostonian, it means a lot because Boston has embraced me as an individual, as a player and more,” Smart said.
He concluded: “I love Boston, and Boston loves me.”
These were Smart’s ideas in 2018, but the Celtics essentially doubled him when they traded with the Memphis Grizzlies in the summer of 2023.