Marcus Smart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marcus Smart

Smart with the Boston Celtics in 2021
No. 36 – Memphis Grizzlies
Point guard / shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1994-03-06) March 6, 1994 (age 31) Flower Mound, Texas, U.S.
High school	Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	Oklahoma State (2012–2014)
NBA Draft	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Pro career	2014–present
League	NBA
Career history
2014–2023	Boston Celtics
2014	→Maine Red Claws
2023–present	Memphis Grizzlies
Career highlights and awards
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2022) 3× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2019, 2020, 2022) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2015) Consensus second-team All-American (2013) Third-team All-American – NABC (2014) Big 12 Player of the Year (2013) 2× First-team All-Big 12 (2013, 2014) USBWA National Freshman of the Year (2013) Big 12 Freshman of the Year (2013) McDonald's All-American (2012) Texas Mr. Basketball (2012)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA World U19 Championship Gold 2013 Czech Republic National team FIBA Americas U18 Championship Gold 2012 Brazil National team

Marcus Osmond Smart (born March 6, 1994) is a professional basketball player from the United States. He plays for the Memphis Grizzlies in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Smart was chosen as the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. He started his Celtics career coming off the bench. By 2018, he began starting games regularly. In 2021, he became the team's main point guard. Smart won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award for the 2021–22 season. This made him only the sixth guard in NBA history to earn this honor. He has also been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team three times. Smart is also a three-time winner of the NBA Hustle Award. He helped the Celtics reach the NBA Finals in 2022. In 2023, he was traded to the Grizzlies.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Marcus Smart is the son of Billy Frank Smart and Camellia Smart. He has three older brothers: Todd Westbrook (who passed away), Jeff Westbrook, and Michael Smart. Marcus went to Edward S. Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. One of his future college teammates, Phillip Forte, also went there.

During his final year of high school, Smart averaged 15.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. His high school team had an amazing record of 115 wins and only 6 losses over three seasons. They also won two 5A state championships. Smart was named a McDonald's All-American. He was also an ESPNHS first team All-American.

Smart set a new record for Team USA U18. He had 18 steals over five games during the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championships in Brazil. Before basketball, Smart played youth football until sixth grade. He still enjoys playing tennis in his free time. ESPN.com saw Smart as a top player. In 2012, they listed him as the number one shooting guard and the tenth best player in the nation.

College Basketball Career

Playing for Oklahoma State

During his first year at Oklahoma State, Smart helped the Cowboys achieve a 24–8 record. They finished third in the Big 12 conference. Smart averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He also led the Big 12 in steals, with 99 steals and an average of 3.0 per game.

Smart and the Cowboys made it to the NCAA Tournament that year. They were the #5 seed in the Midwest Region. However, they were knocked out in the first round by #12 seed Oregon. On April 17, 2013, Smart announced he would return to Oklahoma State for his second year. He decided not to enter the NBA draft yet. His 99 steals set a new record for a freshman in the Big 12.

On November 19, 2013, Smart tied an Oklahoma State record. He scored 39 points, helping his #7 ranked team beat #11 Memphis. Smart was later named one of the 30 finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year award. In the first game of the 2014 NCAA tournament, the Cowboys lost to Gonzaga. Smart had 23 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals in that game. He became the first player in tournament history to get at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals.

Over his two seasons at Oklahoma State, Smart averaged 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. On April 7, 2014, Smart decided to enter the NBA draft. He gave up his final two years of college eligibility.

Professional Basketball Career

Boston Celtics (2014–2023)

Starting in the NBA

Smart in June 2014, shortly after being drafted by the Celtics

On June 26, 2014, the Boston Celtics chose Smart as the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He joined the Celtics for the 2014 NBA Summer League. He signed his contract with the team on July 10. In only his fifth NBA game, Smart sprained his left ankle on November 7. He missed 10 games because of this injury.

Smart returned to play on December 3 against the Detroit Pistons. The next day, he was sent to the Maine Red Claws in the NBA Development League for a short time. He was called back to the Celtics the very next day. On March 18, 2015, he scored a season-high 25 points. On May 18, Smart was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Second Team.

On July 16, 2015, Smart dislocated two fingers on his right hand while playing in the 2015 Las Vegas Summer League. On November 15, 2015, Smart scored a career-high 26 points in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He missed 18 games between November 22 and December 26 due to a lower left leg injury. He returned on December 27.

On January 15, 2016, Smart achieved his first career triple-double. He had 10 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds in a win over the Phoenix Suns. He was the first Celtics player to get a triple-double coming off the bench since 1971. On January 31, Smart tied his career high of 26 points.

Reaching the Eastern Conference Finals

Smart (right) in May 2017, with teammate Isaiah Thomas

On November 9, 2016, Smart scored a season-high 20 points. On December 25, he scored 15 points. He made a key 3-pointer with 47 seconds left to help the Celtics win 119–114 against the New York Knicks. On January 7, 2017, Smart scored a season-high 22 points.

In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 21, Smart started the game because Isaiah Thomas was injured. Smart made seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points. This helped the Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111–108. The Celtics had been losing badly in the first two games. They came back from a 21-point deficit in the third quarter of Game 3. The Celtics eventually lost the series in five games.

Injuries and Defensive Honors

On November 27, 2017, Smart scored a season-high 23 points. He made 6 of 9 shots from 3-point range. He missed 11 games between January 24 and February 14 after cutting his hand. On March 16, 2018, Smart was ruled out for the rest of the regular season. He had a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Smart missed the first four playoff games for the Celtics. He returned 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. This helped the Celtics take a 3–2 lead in the series.

On July 19, 2018, Smart re-signed with the Celtics for a four-year, $52 million contract. On November 9, Smart had his first double-double of the season. He scored 13 points and had a season-high 10 assists. He missed the end of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs due to an injury. Smart returned during the second round of the playoffs. After the season, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

Career Highs and Health Challenges

On January 19, 2020, Smart scored a career-high 37 points against the Phoenix Suns. He made 11 of 22 three-point shots in that game. This broke the Celtics' record for most three-pointers in a single game. On March 20, 2020, Smart tested positive for COVID-19. He was one of the first NBA players to speak publicly about the virus. He encouraged people to take the disease seriously. On March 29, 2020, he was cleared from COVID-19. After the season, Smart was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the second time.

On October 14, 2021, Smart was suspended for the team's final preseason game. This was because he missed a team flight to Florida.

Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Finals

On August 16, 2021, the Celtics signed Smart to a new four-year contract extension worth $77 million. In the summer of 2021, the new head coach, Ime Udoka, named Smart the team's starting point guard. He stayed in this role throughout the season and during the Celtics' 2022 playoff run. Many believe Smart becoming the starting point guard was a big reason for the team's successful 2021–22 season. By February 2022, Smart was the player who had been with the Celtics the longest.

Smart was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on April 18, 2022. He was the first guard to win this award since Gary Payton in 1996. Smart became only the fifth guard in NBA history to win the award. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. He received more first-place votes than any other NBA player.

On May 19, 2022, in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Smart had a playoff career-high 12 assists. He also scored 24 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and had three steals. This helped the Celtics win 127–102 against the Miami Heat. In Game 7 of the series, Smart scored 24 points, had nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals. The Celtics won 100–96, moving on to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. In Game 3 of the Finals, Smart scored 24 points, had seven rebounds, and five assists. The Celtics won 116–100 against the Golden State Warriors. The Celtics took a 2–1 lead in the series, but they eventually lost in six games.

In the 2023 NBA playoffs, Smart averaged 14.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He played about 34.0 minutes per game. He shot 45.3% from the field and 36.1% from three-point range.

Memphis Grizzlies (2023–present)

On June 22, 2023, Smart was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. This was part of a three-team trade. Kristaps Porziņģis went to the Celtics, and Tyus Jones went to Washington.

On October 25, 2023, Smart played his first game for the Grizzlies. He scored 17 points, had three assists, and two steals. At the 2024 NBA All-Star break, Smart was averaging a career-best 14.4 points and 2.0 steals. However, he only played in 20 games during the 2023–24 season because of injuries.

Player Profile and Style of Play

Marcus Smart can play both the point guard and shooting guard positions. In 2021, he became the Celtics' main point guard. Smart is 6 feet 3 inches tall with a 6-foot-9-inch wingspan. This allows him to guard players at all five positions on the court. This skill helps the Celtics play a very effective switching defense.

Smart is known as a "hustle player." He is famous for diving for loose balls and taking charges. He has even been nicknamed "The Cobra" because of this. Because of his strength, quick hands, and excellent basketball understanding, many people see Smart as one of the best and most reliable defenders in the NBA.

While he isn't always a high-percentage shooter, Smart plays aggressively on both offense and defense. He often guards players who are taller than him. He uses his physical strength to make them uncomfortable. This often leads to turnovers or missed shots by the other team. Over his years in the league, Smart's three-point shooting has gotten better. His former teammate, Kemba Walker, described Smart's energy: "It's exciting. It's energizing. He just gets everybody going. Gets us going, gets the crowd going. He just does so many great things. And propels our defense each and every night."

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Play-in

Playoffs

College

See also

In Spanish: Marcus Smart para niños