The Boston Celtics core will be remembered as losers

When the Boston Celtics traded fan favorite Marcus Smart, it marked the end of an era for Celtics fans. The run of Smart, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown had come to an end, and fans began to reminisce.

The sad thing is that the only thing Cs fans could remember is losing and failure. Those two words are what will ultimately define this era of Celtics basketball.

Let me start by saying that the Tatum/Brown/Smart era was fun at certain points. When they were firing on all cylinders, they were a great trio to watch. But the most important aspect of sports is winning championships, and they failed to do that. By the end of this core’s run, they had ultimately left a sour taste in Boston Celtics fans’ mouths.

From collapses against the Miami Heat in the bubble to blowing Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018, and blowing a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors in 2022, the core never quite got over their failures. This is why it’s ultimately hard for me to think highly or positively about this core because they have left me with more negative memories than positive ones.

Lack of a championship in the last half-decade highlights Boston Celtics failures

A perfect stat that shows what this core will be remembered for is the number of games played as a Celtic without winning a title. Smart currently is in first place with 581 games, and Brown is in fifth with 470. This is a stat that will define this core because they played for a long time but never broke through.

It’s a shame that not winning a championship will affect the way that the Tatum/Brown/Smart era is remembered but they have no one to blame but themselves.

It will be interesting to see how the core is talked about as time moves on.