The Celtics tanked in Brad Stevens first season as head coach and picked Smart with the 6th pick the following summer. His arrival transitioning so quickly into winning inspired me to start writing about basketball. By the time I started covering the Celtics in-person, the league reached a point where many players were inaccessible.
Smart was different. He opened up so much and constantly impressed me as we talked chess, martial arts, music, or basketball strategy.
After Smart and I sat down for a story about some of his foundation’s efforts and aspirations to help children coping with cancer, we sat at the Auerbach Center for several minutes talking about what those months felt like watching our loved ones battle cancer.