What Marcus Smart Finds ‘Bittersweet’ About Celtics Reunion

Celtics players won’t hesitate to give Marcus Smart credit for laying the foundation for the championship roster, but he knows it only means so much.

Smart played in his return to TD Garden on Dec. 7 and received a roaring ovation from Green Teamers. It was the first time Smart played in Boston as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, and it was a moment he won’t forget.

Stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still close with Smart and credit him for their growth and maturity. The 30-year-old appreciated the credit he was given for helping the Celtics, but he obviously doesn’t have the ring that his former teammates have.

“It feels good. But at the end of the day, when I’m all done playing, that recognition isn’t going to mean (expletive),” Smart told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, that’s another bittersweet thing. It’s cool to say you built the foundation. But at the end of the day, they’re only going to remember who was raising that trophy. …”

It’s only natural for Smart to feel the way he does. After all, it was the three-team trade he was a part of that helped the Celtics acquire Kristaps Porzingis, who was a key part of their championship run.

Smart is shifting his focus to the Grizzlies and won’t have to worry about facing Boston again until March 31.