Marcus Smart took some time to reflect on his time in Boston before his first game against his former team Saturday night at TD Garden.
The beloved ex-Celtic caught up with NBC Sports Boston's Abby Chin to discuss his emotional return. He opened up about watching the C's win Banner 18 without him, and what he told ex-teammate Jaylen Brown before the 2024 NBA Finals.
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"I sent Jaylen -- after they won against Indiana to head to the Finals, I told him, ‘Go win it now," Smart told Chin. “‘You got here, you gotta finish it this time.’ And he texted me back saying he got me, and he appreciated and loved me and wished I was there but he's gonna go handle business.
"It was definitely hard to watch. But at the same time, it was definitely fun to watch, and excited to see my brothers accomplish their goals."
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Smart received a warm welcome back to Boston last season but was unable to take the parquet due to injury. On Saturday, it'll be a bizarre sight as he competes against his former Celtics teammates, including Brown and Jayson Tatum.
The 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year is proud of who the Jays have become on and off the court.
"Just the maturity of those guys," he said. "They came in the league and they were handed the spoon very early. It hasn't been an easy road for them but they continue just to show their maturity to show their growth and show they are here.
"You can see it on the court, things are starting to slow down for those guys even more and they're starting to pick it up on the defensive end a little bit. So I take credit for that."
While it's all love between Smart and the C's, there's no doubt the scrappy guard would love nothing more than a victory against his former team. Saturday's showdown is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
Watch the full exclusive interview with Marcus Smart below or on YouTube:
