Marcus Smart-as-role-model? You bet!

 I wrote about this more than two years ago. I was reminded about that via a tweet from @CelticsRiley.

This is why we love Marcus Smart pic.twitter.com/rNxix8zedY

— 𝙍𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙮 ☘️ (@CelticsRiley) March 5, 2022

 In his early years in Boston, even I had worries about Marcus Smart's future with the Celtics. A few excerpts from my previous article:

 The MVP chants for Marcus Smart may have been a bit overzealous, but the heart-felt intent was not. Boston Celtics fans adore this man. What started as a light moment as Smart was once again dislodging a wedged basketball from the vicinity of the hoop quickly turned into a loud outpouring of love for a warrior that has transformed himself into a valid role model for young and old alike - quite an accomplishment for a 25-year-old (per MassLive's John Karalis):

“I remember a time when those chants were different types of chants for me,” Smart said, remembering back to a time where he was considered little more than a maniac on the floor with a broken jumper. “I just stayed with it, kept working, finally people are seeing the things that I’m valuable, that I bring to the table on every given night.”

“I know right? But it’s special,” Smart said with a laugh. “It’s special, you know. Because those chants -- yeah, we know I’m probably not the MVP, but those chants of that signify what I mean to this city, this team, and this crowd.”

Tom Lane:  "Boston fans can be borderline-cruel when they have issues with a player, even one of their own. In Smart's early days with the Celtics, some sports writers and fans got on him for his erratic play and errant shot attempts. All of that is gone. His offense has solidified - his defense remains ferocious - and his overall manner with fans and writers has become (dare I say it) placid. He has fought adversity, including the death of his mom, Camellia, and has come out of it a better basketball player and member of society."

"I choose my role models very carefully. And I will direct my great grandson, Carson Thomas Lane, to follow my lead. Boston Celtics fans, including myself, feel that Marcus has passed, and aced, all the tests. A 7-year-old can do far worse than following the lead of Marcus Smart and Tom Brady."