The TD Garden received Marcus Smart with a warm welcome. The former Boston Celtics guard returned to his former home turf months after his heart-breaking trade to the Memphis Grizzlies. Notably, the loyal Celts fans didn’t forget Smart’s service to the franchise and showed him love and support with loud cheers. Speaking of the reception, Celtics’ leader Jayson Tatum delivered a heartwarming message after the game.

JT said, “It was great to see the reception that he got. Being here for 10 years, he was the heart and soul of this organization, and people showed their respect and love today. He deserved it. He deserves it all.”

Marcus Smart played a crucial role in the Celtics’ last few playoffs run. Smart, Tatum, and Jaylen Brown formed the big three and put the Celts repeatedly on the map. Unfortunately, during the 2023 off season, the Celts front office carried out a surprise trade to send Smart to the Grizzlies.

Since then, Smart has had a tough time with the struggling Grizzlies. The 29-year-old guard has had two major injury breaks, and currently, he is recovering from a finger injury. Amid this situation, he got the opportunity to return to the TD Garden, but only as a visitor this time.

The stories were covered much before he landed in Boston. The home team’s HC Joe Mazzulla expressed the ‘extra emotion’ that the Sunday game would carry, reported NESN.

Importantly, the Celts fans didn’t waste any minute of Smart’s time at the Garden. They honored him with standing ovation and rousing cheers multiple times during the game.

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Meanwhile, Smart wasn’t entirely consoled with the surprise trade, as he revealed his disappointment about sudden trade.

Smart still isn’t happy about the Grizzlies trade

After a disappointing finish to the Conference Finals, the Celts went home with an expectation to pull the right strings next season. But the team pulled off several sudden trades instead, including Grant Williams and Marcus Smart.

Smart expressed his disappointment right after the trade and revealed that his agent woke him up to reveal the news. Even months after the trade, he is still upset with it. Following tonight’s game, he addressed the press meet and opened up about his feelings.

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He said, “All I asked was that you could have gave a heads up … There’s no ill will towards the organization, towards my teammates, towards the coaching staff. I love everybody.”

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What do you make of Jayson Tatum’s emotional message about Smart after the game? Let us know in the comments below.