While Marcus Smart was hosting his annual Boston Bowling Bash for his YounGameChanger Foundation Thursday night, a surprise guest showed up to meet him.
Former Celtic point guard Isaiah Thomas arrived at the event unannounced, overwhelming his old backcourt mate with joy. A shocked Smart greeted IT at the door and wrapped up the two-time NBA All-Star in a massive bear hug.
“It means a lot,” Smart said Friday morning of what it meant for his longtime friend to show up to his event, which was also attended by most of his current teammates. “Me and IT being here, battling for the years we did, with me and him, it’s always been more than just on the court. I look at IT as a brother and just keeping up with him after all those years of staying in touch. So it felt good to see him here because I had no idea he was gonna be coming. The fact that he took time to show up here means a lot.”
Especially considering the fact that Thomas hails from the opposite side of the country in Washington state.
Thomas also took time to visit a couple of his old favorite spots in the neighborhood including the Newbury Street shopping district and Strega, an Italian restaurant in the North End.
Following the bowling event, Thomas posted a series of photos of himself and Smart on his social media accounts. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “24hrs in the Bean and it was nothing but LOVE! Proud of bro @youngamechanger (Smart) for real. Keep making a REAL difference in people’s lives.”
Of course, Thomas made a big difference in the lives of many Celtics fans during his two-plus seasons in Boston, where he was a star on the court and an active member of the community off the court.
Thomas played just over 200 regular-season and playoff games for the C’s and is their all-time leader in points per game (24.7).
Since being traded from Boston in the summer of 2017, he’s made stops in Cleveland, Denver, Washington, New Orleans, Dallas, and Charlotte, along with two stints in Los Angeles with the Lakers. The 33-year-old is currently not affiliated with any NBA team.
With that being said, Boston will always be a home away from home for Thomas. He still has plenty of love to share with his old teammates, such as Jaylen Brown Al Horford, and Smart, who certainly felt that love Thursday night.