Marcus Smart

Marcus Osmond Smart (born March 6, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys before being drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

Marcus Smart
Smart with the Celtics in January 2017
No. 36 – Boston Celtics
PositionShooting guard / Point guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1994-03-06) March 6, 1994
Flower Mound, Texas
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolMarcus (Flower Mound, Texas)
CollegeOklahoma State (2012–2014)
NBA draft2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Playing career2014–present
Career history
2014–presentBoston Celtics
2014→Maine Red Claws
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA World U19 Championship
2013 Czech Republic National team
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
2012 Brazil National team

Early life

Smart is the son of Billy Frank Smart and Camellia Smart, who died of myelodysplastic syndrome on September 16, 2018.[1][2] He has three older brothers: Todd Westbrook (deceased), Jeff Westbrook, and Michael Smart.[3] He attended Edward S. Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, along with one of his future Oklahoma State teammates, Phillip Forte. During his senior year, Smart averaged 15.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5 assists.[4] In his high school career, he achieved a record of 115–6 through three seasons and was a two-time 5A state champion. He was also named a McDonald's All-American and was an ESPNHS first team All-American.[4] Smart played competitive football until the sixth grade and enjoys playing tennis in his spare time.[5]

Set a new Team USA U18 record for steals over a five-game period when he grabbed 18 during the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championships in Brazil.[6]

Considered a five-star recruit by ESPN.com, Smart was listed as the No. 1 shooting guard and the No. 10 player in the nation in 2012.[7]

College career

During his freshman year at Oklahoma State, Smart led the Cowboys to a 24–8 record and finished third place in the Big 12 behind Kansas and Kansas State. Smart averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game and led the Big 12 in steals, where he recorded 99 and averaged 3.0 per game. Smart and the Cowboys earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament that year, clinching a #5 seed in the Midwest Region. During the first round of the tournament though, the Cowboys were eliminated by the #12 seed Oregon. On April 17, 2013, Smart held a press conference in the student union at OSU and announced that he would not declare for the NBA draft and instead, return to OSU for his sophomore season.[8] His 99 steals set a freshman record in the Big 12.[9]

On November 19, 2013, Smart tied an OSU single game scoring record with 39 points leading his #7 Oklahoma State Cowboys past #11 Memphis. On February 8, 2014, during a game at Texas Tech, Smart shoved a fan in the stands after a verbal altercation in the closing minutes of the game, and received a technical foul. Reports after the game stated that Smart claimed the fan yelled a racial slur at him. At a press conference the following afternoon, Smart would not comment on that element of the altercation, and coach Travis Ford chose not to address it. The fan denied using a racial slur and stated that he called Smart "a piece of crap". Smart was subsequently suspended for three games and the fan agreed not to attend any further Texas Tech games during the 2013–14 season.[10][11] Five days later, Smart was named one of the 30 finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year.[12] In the first game of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, the Cowboys lost to Gonzaga. He finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals, becoming the first player in tournament history to record 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.[13]

During his two seasons at Oklahoma State, Smart averaged 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 33.1 minutes per game.[14]

On April 7, 2014, Smart declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility.[15]

Professional career

Boston Celtics (2014–present)

2014–15 season
Smart in June 2014, days after being drafted by the Boston Celtics

On June 26, 2014, Smart was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics.[16] He joined the Celtics for the 2014 NBA Summer League,[17] and signed with the team on July 10.[18] In just his fifth NBA game, Smart sprained his left ankle in the Celtics' 101–98 win over the Indiana Pacers on November 7. He underwent an MRI following the game and was ruled out for two to three weeks.[19] After missing ten games with the injury, Smart returned to action on December 3 against the Detroit Pistons.[20] On December 4, he was assigned to the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League.[21] He was recalled the next day after playing in Maine's win over the Erie BayHawks.[22] On March 18, 2015, he scored a season-high 25 points in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.[23] On March 21, he was suspended for one game without pay for hitting San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner in the groin the previous night.[24] On May 18, Smart was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Second Team, garnering 142 points in the voting process.[25]

2015–16 season

On July 16, 2015, while playing for the Celtics at the 2015 Las Vegas Summer League, Smart dislocated two fingers on his right hand.[26] On November 15, 2015, he scored a career-high 26 points in a 100–85 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.[27] Between November 22 and December 26, Smart missed 18 games with a lower left leg injury. He returned to action on December 27 against the New York Knicks, scoring six points in 13 minutes off the bench.[28] On January 15, 2016, in a win over the Phoenix Suns, Smart recorded his first career triple-double with 10 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds, becoming the first Celtics player to record a triple-double off the bench since Art Williams did so in 1971.[29] On January 31, he tied his career high of 26 points in a loss to the Orlando Magic.[30]

2016–17 season
Smart (right) in May 2017, with teammate Isaiah Thomas

On November 9, 2016, Smart scored a then season-high 20 points in a 118–93 loss to the Washington Wizards.[31] On December 25, he scored 15 points and made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 47 seconds left to help the Celtics claim a 119–114 win over the New York Knicks.[32] On January 7, 2017, he scored a season-high 22 points in a 117–108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.[33] In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 21, Smart, who started in place of the injured Isaiah Thomas, made seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points to help the Celtics defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111–108. Boston were blown out in the first two games of the series and came back from a 21-point deficit in the third quarter of Game 3.[34] They went on to lose the series in five games.

2017–18 season

On November 27, 2017, Smart scored a season-high 23 points, making 6 of 9 from 3-point range, in a 118–108 loss to the Detroit Pistons.[35] Smart missed 11 games between January 24 and February 14 after cutting his hand on glass at the team hotel in Los Angeles.[36][37] On March 16, 2018, he was ruled out for the rest of the regular season with a torn ligament in his right thumb.[38] After missing the Celtics' first four games of the playoffs, Smart returned to the line-up for Game 5 of their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. He came off the bench and had nine points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks in a 92–87 win, helping the Celtics take a 3–2 lead.[39]

2018–19 season

On June 29, 2018, the Celtics tendered a qualifying offer to make Smart a restricted free agent.[40][41] On July 19, he re-signed with the Celtics to a four-year, $52 million contract.[42][43] On November 9, he had his first double-double of the season with 13 points and a season-high 10 assists in a 123–115 loss to the Utah Jazz.[44] He missed the end of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs with a left oblique tear.[45] He returned during the second round of the playoffs.[46] Following the season, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.[47]

2019–20 season

On January 19, 2020, Smart dropped a career-high 37 points on the Phoenix Suns.[48] On March 20, 2020, he was tested positive for COVID-19 after fellow NBA player Rudy Gobert was tested positive eight days prior, which had caused the NBA season to suspend indefinitely.[49] On March 29, 2020 Smart was cleared from COVID-19.[50]

Playing style

Though an average percentage shooter, Smart is aggressive on offense and defense, and as the longest tenured Celtic he is widely recognized as the heart and soul of the team.[51] He often guards opposing players taller than he, using physicality to make them uncomfortable, often causing turnovers or missed shots.[52] Over his years in the league, his three-point shooting has improved to the point where he's a league-average three-point threat.[53] His teammate, Kemba Walker, describes the energy he brings to the game: "It's exciting. It's energizing. He just gets everybody going. Gets us going, gets the crowd going. Like I said, we just kinda feed off him. He just does so many great things. And propels our defense each and every night."[54]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2014–15 Boston 673827.0.367.335.6463.33.11.5.37.8
2015–16 Boston 611027.3.348.253.7774.23.01.5.39.0
2016–17 Boston 792430.4.359.284.8123.94.61.6.410.6
2017–18 Boston 54112.367.301.7293.54.81.3.410.2
2018–19 Boston 806027.5.422.364.8062.94.01.8 .4 8.9
Career 34114328.4.372.310.7643.53.91.6.49.3

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015 Boston 4322.5.483.231.5332.81.3.3.39.8
2016 Boston 6132.2.367.344.8104.53.01.7.812.0
2017 Boston 18329.9.351.397.6404.74.71.5.98.6
2018 Boston 15429.9.336.221.7353.75.31.7.79.8
2019 Boston 2016.0.091.091.6672.02.01.5.03.5
Career 451128.9.350.299.6884.14.31.5.79.3

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2012–13 Oklahoma State 333233.5.404.290.7775.84.23.0.715.4
2013–14 Oklahoma State 313132.7.422.299.7285.94.82.9.618.0
Career 646333.1.413.295.7515.94.52.9.616.6

References
  1. Reporter, Adam Himmelsbach-. "Marcus Smart's 2 a.m. gym trips have helped him stay connected to his late mother - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  2. Reporter, Adam Himmelsbach-. "Marcus Smart reveals mother has cancer - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  3. Prisbell, Eric (January 22, 2013). "Smart went from 'dead or in jail' to Oklahoma State's selfless general". USAToday.com. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  4. Flores, Ronnie; Huff, Doug (April 17, 2012). "2011-12 ESPNHS All-Americans". ESPN. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  5. "Marcus Smart Bio". OKState.com. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  6. 2014. "Five Facts: Rondo, Wallace, Thornton, Smart, Olynyk". Boston Celtics. Retrieved January 16, 2020.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. Marcus Smart Recruiting Profile
  8. Report: Okla. State's Marcus Smart to return for sophomore year
  9. Daniels, Tim. "Marcus Smart: Player Profile, Fun Facts and Predictions for Oklahoma State Star". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  10. Maloy, Brendan (February 9, 2014). "Marcus Smart suspended 3 games for altercation with fan; Texas Tech releases new footage of incident". SI.com. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  11. Statement Regarding Incident At Texas Tech-Oklahoma State Men's Basketball Game
  12. "2013-14 Men's Naismith Trophy Midseason 30". NaismithAwards.com. February 13, 2014. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  13. Mandel, Stewart (March 21, 2014). "Marcus Smart can't get first NCAA Tournament win as his Cowboys fall to Gonzaga". SI.com. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  14. "Marcus Smart Stats | Basketball-Reference.com". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  15. "Marcus Smart entering NBA draft". ESPN. April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  16. "Celtics Select Smart, Young in 2014 Draft". NBA.com. June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  17. "Celtics Announce 2014 Orlando Summer League Roster". NBA.com. July 1, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  18. "Celtics Sign 2014 Draft Picks". NBA.com. July 10, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  19. "Boston Celtics Injury Updates". NBA.com. November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  20. "Celtics recover in OT, beat Pistons 109-102". NBA.com. December 3, 2014. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  21. "Celtics Assign Powell, Smart and Young to NBA D-League's Maine Red Claws". OurSportsCentral.com. December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  22. "Celtics Recall Powell, Smart and Young". NBA.com. December 5, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  23. "Marcus Smart 2014-15 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  24. "Celtics' Smart suspended one game for hit to groin". NBA.com. March 21, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  25. King, Jay (May 18, 2015). "NBA All-Rookie team voting 2015: Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart named to second team; James Young earns vote". MassLive.com. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  26. Marcus Smart's fingers 'feeling better'
  27. Smart leads Celtics past Thunder 100-85
  28. Thomas scores 21, leads Celtics past Knicks, 100-9 [sic]
  29. Thomas, Smart lead Celtics past Suns, 117-103
  30. Keys to the Game: Magic 119, Celtics 114
  31. Marcus Smart 2016-17 Game Log
  32. Celtics recover after late Knicks rally, win 119-114
  33. Thomas, Smart power Celtics past Pelicans, 117-108
  34. "Bradley hits last-second shot, Celtics stun Cavs 111-108". ESPN.com. May 21, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  35. "Drummond (26 pts, 22 reb) leads Pistons past Celtics 118-108". ESPN.com. November 27, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  36. "Celtics strong out of the break, rout Pistons 110-98". ESPN.com. February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  37. "Marcus Smart 2017-18 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  38. Zillgitt, Jeff (March 16, 2018). "Celtics' Marcus Smart will have surgery on thumb". usatoday.com. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  39. "Horford, Smart lift Celtics over Bucks 92-87 for 3-2 lead". ESPN.com. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  40. Yang, Nicole (June 29, 2018). "The Celtics have reportedly extended a qualifying offer to Marcus Smart". Boston.com. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  41. "Report: Marcus Smart upset Boston Celtics haven't talked to him about new contract". NBA.com. July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  42. "Celtics Re-Sign Marcus Smart". NBA.com. July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  43. Forsberg, Chris (July 19, 2018). "Marcus Smart signs four-year, $52 million deal to stay with Celtics". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  44. "Joe Ingles scores 27 points, Jazz outlast Celtics 123-115". ESPN.com. November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  45. "Irving, Horford lead Celtics past Bucks 112-90 in opener". ESPN.com. April 28, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  46. "Giannis has 39, Bucks beat Celtics 113-101, lead series 3-1". ESPN.com. May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2019. Marcus Smart, who has been out since tearing a muscle in his side during the second-to-last game of the regular season, played 15 minutes and scored three points, making 1 of 7 attempts from 3-point range.
  47. Snow, Taylor C. (May 22, 2019). "Marcus Smart Earns All-Defensive First Team Nod". NBA.com. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  48. "Suns overcome Smart's record 11 3s, beat Celtics 123-119". ESPN.com. January 18, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  49. Kasabian, Paul (March 20, 2020). "Celtics' Marcus Smart Announces He Tested Positive for Coronavirus". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  50. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2020/03/29/marcus-smart-cleared-coronavirus-covid-19/2937849001/
  51. "Why Marcus Smart Is The Celtics' Heart & Soul". Hartwell, Darren nbcsports.com. October 31, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  52. "Who Are The NBA's Best Defenders Right Now?". fivethirtyeight.com/. November 28, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  53. "Marcus Smart has evolved into a legitimate 3-point threat, and we have proof". Yahoo! Sports. November 12, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  54. "Celtics teammates endorse Marcus Smart for Defensive Player of the Year". MSN Sports. January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
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