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[Saba Sports News] Marcus Smart received a warm welcome from most of the crowd during his return to Boston on Sunday—but not everything went smoothly.
Although Smart didn’t suit up for the Washington Wizards in their 124-90 blowout loss to the Celtics at TD Garden, fans made sure to show love to the longtime Boston favorite. Chants of “We want Marcus!” echoed through the arena, a nod to his nine hard-nosed seasons in green.
But not everyone in the crowd kept it respectful. During the game, Smart got into a verbal exchange with a fan seated behind the Wizards’ bench. Video clips circulating on social media showed Smart pointing the fan out, leading to the individual being escorted out by security.
After the game, Smart addressed the incident, saying the fan “crossed the line.”
“He just crossed the line and we all know I don’t do line crossing,” Smart told Brian Robb of *MassLive*. “That was it. We move on. Unfortunate—you never wanna see that, especially for a guy who’s coming back and who’s given the city everything he has. But it is what it is. Take the spirit, we’ll take it. Onto the next one.”
Smart said he flagged the fan to security in hopes of preventing things from escalating.
Despite the tense moment, Smart said he still felt plenty of love from Boston fans. The 31-year-old was a healthy scratch, to the disappointment of many hoping to see him take the court in his first game back in uniform since being traded to Washington. He got a similar warm reception last year while visiting TD Garden in street clothes.
Maybe next time, fans will get to cheer him on when he actually plays.