Marcus Smart Excited to Work with Ja Morant: 'I Love to Push Guys to Their Limit'

Marcus Smart is an ideal addition to the Memphis Grizzlies. He's a culture setter and a leader, and he's played a pivotal role in his teams' consistently winning.

The year before he arrived in Boston, the Celtics, early in their rebuild after their modern big three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, led them to Banner 17, went 25-57.

But after drafting the former Oklahoma State Cowboy, they never missed the playoffs. And according to Michael Pina from The Ringer, Smart's never had a season with a negative net rating, meaning every year of his career, Boston outscored its opponent with him on the court.

In his introductory press conference with the Grizzlies, the former Defensive Player of the Year conveyed the following about building a relationship with Ja Morant so they can form a successful tandem when the latter returns from his 25-game suspension to start the upcoming season.

"I love to push guys to their limit. Especially a guy who is great. I've done it over in Boston... those are my brothers."

Marcus Smart talks importance of building a relationship with Ja Morant while he serves out his suspension pic.twitter.com/nWytWk0Gad
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) July 7, 2023

"It's huge. Ja is a very special player, very special player, and he's very important to this team. And for us to do anything great, we're gonna need Ja. And we're gonna need Ja to be the best he can be. So for me, as a competitor, I love to push guys to the limit, especially a guy who's great. I've done it over in Boston with those guys, and those are my brothers, so I want to be able to have that same relationship with Ja cause like I said, he's a great player, and we're gonna need him to do what we want to do."

Further Reading

Marcus Smart Reflects on His Time with Celtics: 'I Left Everything I Had'

Evaluating Celtics' Options in Free Agency

Celtics Sign Second-Round Pick Jordan Walsh

Celtics Reportedly Not Pursuing Damian Lillard

Celtics Losing Grant Williams in Sign-and-Trade Demonstrates Intention of NBA's New CBA

NBA Insider Says Multi-Team Deal Could Get Damian Lillard to the Heat

The Latest on Celtics' Negotiations with Jaylen Brown

Marcus Smart Wants It Known There's No Beef Between Him and Jaylen Brown: 'We're Brothers'

Brad Stevens Discusses Difficult Decision to Trade Marcus Smart: 'He'll Always Have Boston'

Celtics Sign Forward Oshae Brissett

Celtics Reportedly Interested in Signing Terence Davis