Marcus Smart wears Memphis blues and touches of green ahead of win in Boston
From Grind City to our city, Marcus Smart returned to Boston in pops of green, Louis Vuitton, and PUMA cold-weather gear.
“The business of basketball is uncomfortable,” Eddie House, Celtics analyst and former player, said during the NBC Sports Boston Pregame Live, describing the realities of being traded: here one day, gone the next.
For Marcus Smart, it was a return to Boston on Saturday night, where he was available to play for the first time since his departure. Smart traded his Louis Vuitton “washed jacquard” blue suit from February for a Grizzlies uniform in a duo of Memphis blues.
On the road to Boston from a loss on Tuesday night, Smart and his crew suited up for cold weather as they headed points east.
“The ultimate Celtic,” announcer Drew Carter called Smart during the first few minutes of the Saturday night play, the former guard repped green, bundling up in a dark lime hoodie with PUMA printed on the front.
Smart, who has partnered with PUMA since 2019, released the latest product of his collaboration in October: the Genetics basketball shoe, featuring a “player-exclusive” colorway resembling a biological heatmap — fitting for a player who had often been called the heart and soul of Celtics basketball.
He paired the sweatshirt with a puffer jacket in the colors of his new hometown team in the style of this one on the PUMA website made in collaboration with KidSuper, a designer known for playful design and community ethos.
Once at the Garden, hours before making a triumphant return met with roaring cheers from fans happy to see him here back in action, Smart sported a familiar favorite designer and NBA mainstay.
Wearing Louis Vuitton, this time in no uncertain terms, he displayed additional pops of green on the collar of the black jacket, worn with the sort of color combination seen frequently in the tunnel.
In contrast to the melange of color on Smart, which included a “bright summery” blue Louis Vuitton dopp kit, the boys wore black.
Jayson Tatum flipped on a backwards hat and layered a long-sleeved white tee under a black short-sleeved tee and black pants. The rest of the team followed suit, while Jaylen Brown expressed range in a cool neutral palette that included brown, gray, and a quick hit of white on his feet.
Blue, green, brown, white, black: Along with a range of colors, the night brought a range of emotions for Smart, who talked nostalgia with NBC Sports Boston sideline reporter Abby Chin.
“What is it like coming back here now?”
“I’m not going to lie. It’s a little weird … seeing everybody … familiar faces, just saying what’s up … ‘good to see’ me … ‘welcome back’ and things like that,” Smart said about reuniting with former colleagues and friends.
“But it’s a great feeling. My time here was definitely one for the books to remember and it’s always a part of my life.”
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