Enes Kanter Raves About Marcus Smart, ‘Blessed’ To Have Him As Teammate

BOSTON — Marcus Smart isn’t just a fan favorite, he’s a favorite in the locker room, as well.

The Boston Celtics guard, who is the longest-tenured member of a team that’s seen its share of turnover the last few seasons, has been known to get under opponents’ skin while still be a great guy to play with.

With 42 seconds to play Friday against the Atlanta Hawks, Smart hit a 3-pointer to effectively seal what became a 109-106 victory. Just before the horn, he also got into a brief dustup with Trae Young and Alex Len.

Following the game, Kanter was asked about Smart’s play down the stretch, and he responded with a ringing endorsement of his teammate.

“We should all feel blessed to have a teammate like him, man,” Kanter said. “Both ends he brings — not just on the court, off the court (as well) —  he brings so much energy, so much toughness, bring so much (to) the table that we should all feel blessed to have a leader, have a teammate, have a friend like Marcus.”

Smart finished Friday’s win with 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds.