Celtics’ Jaylen Brown addresses Marcus Smart’s departure: ‘The journey won’t feel the same without him’

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown signed his five-year, $304 million extension on Wednesday, which is the richest contract in NBA history. After the deal was made official, Brown addressed the media during a press conference and was asked about the team’s blockbuster trade earlier this summer, which shipped out his longtime teammate, Marcus Smart. 

Brown was candid about their relationship and admitted that things wouldn’t feel the same without Smart around anymore. 

“Definitely a lot of big changes. Change is not always a bad thing. My brother and my teammate, one of my best friends is not on the team anymore. Everybody knows it. I learned so much from Marcus. Marcus is somebody that’s like — we butted heads sometimes, we fought, we did it all, put each other in head locks, et cetera. 

“The journey won’t feel the same without him, to be honest. But it’s a part of life, it’s a part of what you do going forward. Everything he’s instilled into this organization, everything he’s instilled into this community is still gonna be with us. We’ll still carry it with us. We’re gonna wish him well on his new journey. The city of Boston is gonna feel the loss of his impact when he’s no longer here, but we’ll keep moving forward.”

Brown’s comments echo how many Celtics fans still feel about the trade. Even though you can make an entirely rational explanation for why Brad Stevens agreed to swap Smart for Kristaps Porzingis and multiple first-round picks, there’s a heavy emotional component at play. 

Smart had been with the franchise since 2014 when he was the No. 6 overall pick. Over nearly a decade, he grew into a team leader and one of the best defensive players in the league. And though frustrating at times, his constant all-out effort and penchant for winning plays endeared him to the fans and the city. The Celtics never managed to win a title during his time in Boston, but they made the playoffs every single year of Smart’s career, went to five Eastern Conference finals and one Finals. 

As this core continues to chase a trophy, it’s going to take a while for everyone to get used to them doing so without Smart – the fans, of course, but even the other players, too.