On Thursday, Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka told reporters, including The Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy, that Smart had been suspended for tonight’s game for violating team rules and that he was “remorseful” for his actions.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the reason behind Smart’s suspension was that he missed the team’s flight to Orlando.
Smart will be suspended for the Celtics final preseason game against the Miami Heat on Friday evening in Miami. Smart should be available for Boston’s regular-season opener on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks.
“Marcus is one of our leaders and we expect a certain standard of him and he knows that,” Udoka said per The Athletic. “He’s remorseful. He will not play [against the Heat] and we’ll get him ready for opening night.”
Boston has put a lot of investment into the 27-year-old guard, signing him to a four-year $77 million extension during the offseason.
