Today in Boston Celtics history, Marcus Smart debuted for the storied ball club in 2014 in a 121-105 victory against the Brooklyn Nets, the team that provided the draft pick used to select him from Oklahoma State in the first place when they dealt for the Celtics' last title core of Hall of Fame forwards Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
In his debut with the Celtics, Smart played nearly 28 minutes of floor time, a significant amount for a rookie guard. He scored 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting, including going 1-for-4 from beyond the arc, and put up 2 rebounds and 2 assists for good measure.
Smart also nabbed an impressive 4 steals that foreshadowed his future with the team as a defensive specialist.
Historic milestones
Today is also the anniversary of Arthur LeMarcus
Banks III's first game with the Celtics as well. Better known as Marcus Banks, the former Runnin' Rebel's first game post-UNLV was a 98-75 win over the Miami Heat on this date in 2003. The point guard put up 4 points, 2 boards, and 4 assists while hitting just one of his 9 field-goal attempts, turning the ball over once, and fouling twice in 20 minutes and 30 seconds of floor time.
Smart and Banks share their debut anniversary with Carlos Clark, who played his first game for Boston in a 108-89 blowout of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1983. Clark, drafted by the Celtics out of Ole Miss that same year, scored 3 points in just 2 minutes of play – all of them off of free throws.
Boston's 23rd pick of the 1982 NBA Draft – Darren Tillis – also made his debut that day, exactly one year earlier. The Cleveland State product went scoreless in his sole minute on the floor in a 104-93 win, also against the Cavs.
Birthdays
Finally, it is also the birthday of Celtics short-timer Evan Fournier, who was born on this day in 1992. Traded to Boston from the Orlando Magic at the 2021 NBA trade deadline, the Saint Maurice native played just 16 games for the Celtics after coming down with COVID-19 soon after the deal was complete.
He logged 13 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game with Boston.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Today in Boston Celtics history: Smart, Banks, Tillis, Clark debut; Fournier born
