Love and trust: a final ode to nine years of Marcus Smart

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty ImagesIn a 2019 game against the Charlotte Hornets, Marcus Smart made headlines for publicly yelling at head coach Brad Stevens. He had just picked up his fifth foul and in turn, was pulled out of the game, barking at Brad on his way to the bench.

We didn’t know it at the time, but with that heated exchange, the Love & Trust era was born.

“This is the part about Marcus that I love — his fire, his competitiveness,” Stevens said after the game. “If there’s a moment when he’s upset with us, that’s all part of it. We move on pretty quickly. We’ve been together a long time, and I’ve been yelled at before, and that’s okay. I love him and I trust him, and he’ll…