The infamous criticism that Marcus Smart hurled against his teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have sent shockwaves across the league — making fans wonder about the uncertainty and possible turmoil within the Boston Celtics’ hub as early in this season.
But, after an uplifting 92-79 victory against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night, Brown had an opportunity to address the infamous comment, saying that the team “probably didn’t need” it as they are trying to gather wins.
“Obviously in the midst of trying to win games, it’s something that we probably didn’t need,” Brown said of Smart’s harsh comments. “But we all communicate and talk to each other. So we’re always trying to find ways to win and I’m open to any and everything when guys bring it to me, coaching staff.”
“I’m always watching film trying to better myself and be a better basketball player and find ways to make my teammates better. So it felt good to get a win today.”
A meeting was conducted by the Celtics last Tuesday, and Smart’s sentiments were tackled. As cleared by head coach Ime Udoka in contrast to the reports released by ESPN, it wasn’t entirely a players-only meeting — and it served as a team dinner which was scheduled before the misunderstanding happened.
“The last few days, we’ve just been focused on Orlando,” Brown said. “That was the goal: come out, try to get a win. That was it. Team meeting – just an opportunity to talk as a group, get some communication going in, and move forward.
“At the end of the day, we’ve been playing basketball together for a long time, all of us, especially our core group. So when it comes down to it, it’s all about trying to find ways to win, and that’s what the conversation was about, et cetera. The last two days, we’ve just been focused on Orlando, and now we’re focused on Miami.”
