Former Celtic Marcus Smart says it was ‘devastating’ to miss game against his old team

Marcus Smart was bummed to miss a chance to square off with his old teammates over the weekend.

The Boston Celtics defeated the Memphis Grizzlies on the road this weekend, the first game between the clubs since a surprise trade over the offseason sent long-time Celtic Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies. Smart played his first nine seasons as a pro in Boston, building a strong and lasting relationship with the team and the city. When a player leaves an organization after many years, the first matchup against his former team can be emotional.

For Smart, however, Sunday’s game was challenging for different reasons. Last week the veteran guard suffered an ankle sprain and will miss the next few weeks of action. As a result, he was unavailable to suit up for Memphis with Boston in town. In an interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin, Smart admitted he was quite upset to miss a chance to square off with the Celtics.

“We’ve been struggling,” Smart said. “We got a great win last night and, to come back and play a team like Boston, not to be a part of it is definitely devastating.”