There are few people with more grit on the court than Marcus Smart, and few people with a bigger heart off of it.
Having lost a mother and a brother to cancer, the Texan defensive nightmare knows the pain of losing a loved one all too well.
So when local Celtics blogger Tom Lane reached out the Boston Celtics in a moment of grief, the Oklahoma State product responded along with his teammates in a big way.
That blogger, Tom Lane, had recently lost a granddaughter to cystic fibrosis — and that daughter had left a son without parents in the world, Carson Thomas Lane.
When @smart_MS3 heard about Carson’s story on twitter earlier this year, he made sure Carson didn’t feel alone.
Last night, he gave Carson a memory that will last forever 💚 #ThisIsWhyWePlay #CelticsFamily pic.twitter.com/wsp0ip3hyX
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 2, 2020
Carson’s father quickly exited the picture, leaving the young boy dependent on his extended family for care as the 7-year-old struggled to make sense of losing the only parent he’d ever known.
Smart would reply to Carson’s great.grandfather’s plea with a tweet stating, “I lost my mom recently [too]. But it’s people like [your] great-grandfather who will get you through the tough times when you grow up. Much luv, young stud!”
While social media can be an insidious blight on human interactions, it can also be a boon to them.
And in this case, the latter occurred as countless strangers reached out to write the youngster notes of support, some even buying the young Celtics fan tickets to games.
Carson made the trip to to the Houston Rockets contest on Saturday, and Smart made good on a promise to meet with boy before the game.
Sincere "Thank You" to my followers. You were the ones that brought my original plea/tweet concerning my great grandson, Carson Thomas Lane, to the attention of the Boston Celtics – who in turn responded in such a terrific manner. I truly love my followers & the Celtics. @Advil pic.twitter.com/9BQd7jKokK
— Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) March 2, 2020
The pair dapped each other up and shared a short exchange before Carson’s caregiver, his aunt Lisa, thanked Smart and the Celtics for all they’ve done to buoy the family through one of its toughest moments.
It’s moments — and gestures — like this that remind us of the bond that unites us all through our love of basketball and fandom of our favorite teams that play it.
And it’s acts like this by Smart that helps make clear why his teammates would gladly run through a wall for the man if asked.
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