When you go through things like that, there's only one way for you to be is humble. So we decided we werent going to play in Adidas. Everybody was always welcome. Smart: They brought us a box of headbands and wristbands (for us to wear). He is perhaps best remembered for hitting the game-winning shot in the 1987 NCAA championship game that gave the Indiana Hoosiers a 7473 victory over the Syracuse Orangemen. And more importantly, are the Boston Celtics among them? Who led the season more times? Were getting ready to take the court. But problems were beginning to fester for Marcus, whose rage simmered. The Marcus Smart-Phil Forte (left) connection continued when the pair played at Oklahoma State. Marcus knew he no longer was the generous kid who as a 4-year-old gave a homeless man his coveted $20 bill, no longer the innocent child who pedaled his bike in cowboy boots to McDonald's for free burgers. Johnathan Gray, teammate: I like to say we were the toughest guys in the state, probably in the country. ", "I didn't let the gangs rob my other boys, and I was not going to let them rob Marcus," she says. Either way, Smart's ability to contribute in every category makes him worthy of a roster and starting spot in most league formats. He and friends would steal candy, food and soda from stores. They came and told us, If you dont play in Adidas, you will have to forfeit the championship game.. My uncles, actually, they have done drugs. Come give me a hug. Its just funny because you like, Yall was just ready about to kill each other. But thats his son and thats just how Thats their relationship. And of course, it wouldnt surprise you if I said Marcus found himself in the middle of instigating most of them. Smart spoke at length with USA TODAY Sports' Eric Prisebell about his journey: On playing in college with his best friend, Phil Forte. If there are things about veteran Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smarts game that he needs help with, trash talk probably isnt at the top of the list. As you climb the ladder, you pass those guys. That was us. But on Jan. 9, 2004, Marcus' aunt called him and his cousin inside from playing, asked them to sit down and tearfully delivered the news everyone feared: Todd was dying. I had to tell her like, Oh Mom, whats up? In Saturday's game against Texas Tech, Marcus scored only three points but didn't care. The man did not duck, and they heard him get knocked to the ground. He also co-hosts the "Anything Is Poddable" podcast. Oh, OK, you think this? Getting to Know: Marcus Smart's family at the forefront Eric Prisbell, USA TODAY Sports View Comments 0:04 0:35 Freshman Marcus Smart%27s brother died from But, yeah, thats just Ms. Mama Camellia. And all he heard was the thumping of a man racing up the stairwell and a frenzied voice promising to kill him. Please check your email for a confirmation. He is making us believe. Marcus Smart started Thursday's Boston Celtics - Indiana Pacers game. We came back and won by three. 7:06 PM Keith Smith @ KeithSmithNBA Ime Udoka said Marcus Is this how I die? They were a big part of the road I chose to go down. I met Phil in third grade because we played on the same AAU team. Shortly after Westbrooks death, Smarts older brother Michael, who was living a fast life of drugs and gang activity, landed in the hospital as a result of his cocaine use. We did fundraising. I just remember the walk of shame walking into the Hooters hotel at 7 feeling awful, and shes over there just laughing her ass off at us going, Look here.. And he liked it because it brought everybody together and he got to hang out with his boys. 35 years ago Smart came to New Orleans as a junior on the IU basketball team and hit the most famous shot in program history to Down seven, like six minutes to go. Warriors. Marcus was bred in a close-knit family that rarely sulked despite tragedy. He explained to Michael how to wear a condom. Nobody wanted him. The previous coach informed Thomas the group would be unlike anything he had ever encountered. You be different. By the time Marcus would dribble a basketball all over the home in his boots, he had already heard all the stories from the 1980s that made him idolize Todd. Now youre not even going to compete? So Im not leaving my family and stuff behind. He said, Oh no, OK you dont have to leave. It was the craziest thing Ive ever seen, Thomas said. Why the fuck is my bed like this?, The younger Luster said Smart was constantly trying to toughen up his teammates. " Camellia asked. " After six NBA seasons and a thousand meme-able screenshots, the edges of his game and his on-court personality are pretty well defined. Yes, that was Marcus Smart. It was never Marcus fault. This AAU team helped shape Smart into the ruthless, uber-competitive player Boston Celtics fans have come to know. Behind Marcus, the footsteps and menacing voice grew louder. What would you do if you were in that situation? On March 19, Smart announcedon Twitter that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, although at that time he was symptom-free. When there was problems, and she knew it was affecting me, she would pull me to the side and basically put me in my place. Smart considers many of his former teammates brothers and believes the relationships forged during those times possibly saved his life. So he offered to rent it to us. So Big Phil comes down at halftime. You know me, Ill settle it on the court. Web"It has to translate and I feel like Rudy in the playoffs didn't translate and Marcus Smart guards 1-4," Adebayo said in the interview. And you turn and run back down the floor. I've learned that. Marcus Smart Over 5.5 Assists (+100 at BetMGM) Marcus Smart has been working to reintegrate himself into the first-unit offense for the Celticsthat should be easier tonight with Jaylen Brown out. Boren: Most of those kids start getting recruited their freshman and sophomore years. Taylor Luster, teammate: I called Marcus Eddie Haskell because Marcus was always perfect. Im dead. And you know, hes funny, he never did anything. The death of your brother caused you to develop an anger problem. Smarts teammate, Phil Forte, put his arm around Thomas. That's something we will take with us the rest of our lives. Feedback on our suggestions. The same thing he did later with James Harden. In their home in DeSoto, Marcus and Michael, sometimes at the same time, could not help but crawl into Todd's bed at night, putting themselves to sleep to that familiar sound of the Discovery Channel. The team won. You know what Im saying? Michael says Marcus regularly encourages him to keep his life above board and tells him how proud he is that Michael, who is now 27 and works at a warehouse, gave up selling drugs a few years ago. (Peter G. Aiken / Getty Images). He looked for any weapons he could find. All I kept thinking was, Am I going to die? The fights escalated. And he told gang members to leave Marcus alone or face Michael's wrath of bullets. Smart has only gone over this number in three games since returning to the lineup, but that was the only game with Brown out, like he is tonight. Why aint nobody trying to break it up?. Get on up. That was us. It was stupid stuff. He showed them how to shave, shake a man's hand and sell themselves in job interviews. He would get in three fights per week. The first thing he probably said was, or he sent me a picture of his old vertical talking about how I still have some work to do. We don't even look at each other as friends; that's my brother. But he would always want to fuck around and play games. Michael became affiliated with the Bloods street gang and acted as if he had a death wish. The torch has been passed according to hoops legend Keith Smart after his son Jared impresses with vertical leap for @HawaiiFootball https://t.co/ts49y4VCgx @LaneyCollegeFB #HawaiiFB #GoBows // https://t.co/9oZimTcj6b pic.twitter.com/MXP9TKqPwU. Says Marcus, "People always ask me, 'How are you so humble?' I went to Flower Mound and Red Oak and wore No.3. She didnt care if you was her son, her husband, she didnt care. In an appearance on the Old Man and the Three podcast with JJ Redick this week, Tatum opened up about his reaction to that criticism. I actually heard that team arguing about whos not going to hold Marcus. Marcus pulled out a pocketknife. My moms door stayed open and they knew that and they loved it. On September 17, 2014, the Miami Heat announced they had hired Smart as an assistant coach. Basketball saved my life. 36 combination in the braids, Kobe, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan headline 2020 Hall of Fame class, Jayson Tatum Talks LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Top 5 Players in NBA on IG Live, Ranking 5 the most likely NBA champions if season resumes, Marcus Smart announces he's 'cleared' of coronavirus, 5 best Boston Celtics to never win a ring. He definitely said Ive been putting in the work for stuff like this so its good for him to see.. Were driving in our parents rental cars. I know what is wrong and right. Todd, a second father figure to Michael and Marcus, was its backbone. Taylor Luster: We used to play this game in the neighborhood. Barrett, individually, scored six points on 2-of-8 shooting with one assist and one turnover. Marcus Smart, seemingly unfazed, plopped into the passenger seat of the teams van. Thats something I have always been working on, coming from my JUCO. I mean theyre drinking the whole night and theyre playing the whole night, and shes kicking everybodys ass on dominoes. Hes going to let you know about it whenever he has that chance to play you. Everybody was intimidated by (Smart). According to ESPN, he was one of (at that time) four NBA players who had tested positive and volunteered to donate his blood for the research of possible treatments: Michael Joyner, an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic, told ABC News that at least four NBA players who have recovered from the infection plan to donate blood for the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project, an experimental treatment that could help high-risk patients recover from the virus. Now without Todd, the brothers found a catharsis in surrounding themselves with Todd's memory, his images and sounds. With so much going on in his family life, Smart said he got kicked out of one school before landing at Red Oak (Texas) High School. She was going to talk. I didn't have a feel for it. 2 ranking in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' Class 4A poll. Smart has a long history with Musselman both as a player with the Rapid City Thrillers and Florida Beachdogs and as an assistant coach on Musselmans staff with the Golden State Warriors. Boren: I remember Phillip Fortes dad saying, Motherfucker, if we dont get shit right now brought to us and the game is in like two hours every single one of us is walking up there and wearing fucking Nike. It was hilarious. Undeterred, Marcus would wait up until the wee hours of the morning to make sure Michael though at times frazzled from drugs returned home safe. It was a fight every game, every day.. And he was, so I was like, Dude, Im not backing down from you. And obviously Marcus, he aint backing down from nobody. When Camellia saw he was wearing sneakers with holes in the bottom to school, Marcus shrugged. 'Momma, I didn't want to worry you.' I feel like he is playing through me. The Knicks rookie had Smart as his primary defender for just over 32.4 possessions this season, on which New York mustered just 23 points (71.0 points per 100 possessions). He made less than 30 percent of his 3s in two seasons at Oklahoma State and then again across the first four seasons of his NBA career. Or if were driving a car, he might try to want to just jump out of a car and see if it hurts. His dad came in and he called us all the P word. We are going to disrespect them. Im like, What? STILLWATER, Okla. What distinguishes Oklahoma State freshman Marcus Smart from other elite players is his rarely seen approach to the game, a selfless style of play that wows coaches such as Syracuse's Jim Boeheim and Florida's Billy Donovan. After they moved to Lancaster, Marcus at times would run to the corner of the 1500 block of Bluegrove Road and make futile attempts to get Michael to come back home. Marcus then put his hands in the air, saying, "Todd is just like a butterfly. Sitting in an Applebee's last week, Michael's eyes welled up as he reflected on Marcus, a younger brother he says he looks up to as if he were an older brother. Follow Jay on Twitter @byjayking. Jim Davis/Globe Staff Celtics guard Marcus Smart is questionable for Game 2 of the conference semifinals against the Bucks Tuesday because of a quadriceps contusion he suffered in Game 1. Im just thankful for those times. He told us we could go home. You have to expand your vision and see. Yall leave that girl alone. Marcus stands up and goes, We aint going nowhere. And we ended up just beating that ass in the second half. And in December 2003, when Camellia asked him what he wanted for Christmas, Marcus said one word: "Nothing.". Veteran guard Marcus Smart got injured in Game 1, and even though he returned to playing he is on the injury report as questionable with a right thigh injury for It was not given. He deflects attention in an age when most crave it. Camellia is on these penny slots. Marcus instead chose 33 because that was Todd's age when he died. Smart: It was just a sense of this is a forever thing with us. It was just his second game since injuring his ankle on January 16th. "My life was almost taken," Marcus says. Todd, at 33 years old and after an 18-year battle with cancer, had died. Either way, Smart's ability to contribute in every category makes him worthy of a roster and starting spot in most league formats. Always try and make sure to know where the end of the endzone is so I can get my right foot down, said Smart. Hes arrived.. Together with his family for the holidays, Marcus received that gift. 'Should I do this, do that? Taylor Luster: When he got his Slingshot (vehicle), I did not want to ride with him because I knew, first of all, how fast wed go and how hard he would be hitting turns and all that. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. ", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Thomas: Marcus had 29 points and 19 rebounds. January 29, 2022. What matters is you get your ice and shut the fuck up. French fries floating in there. As the favorite muse of Weird Celtics Twitter, its possible that as much as 3.6 percent of the worlds digital data storage is currently devoted to Marcus Smart memes. He had transferred to Indiana from Garden City Community College in Kansas where he was a two-year standout and Jayhawk Conference Player of the Year. I was seeing it. And Marcus went up and just blocked it, I mean right at the rim too. Jeff Luster: Were in Arkansas. Taylor Luster and Johnathan Gray joined in the following years. To Smarts credit, hes pretty patient with Our Cousin at least at first who seems to have confused puns with trash talk. His son was on a team Clyde was coaching. Cowboys teammates can tell you that after Le'Bryan Nash totaled six points in a Jan.5 loss to Kansas State, Smart blamed himself for not helping Nash score more. After six NBA seasons and a thousand meme-able screenshots, the edges of Denise Pustevosky, Smarts high school teacher and tutor: He didnt want to disappoint her, I guess, would be the best way of saying it. This is crazy. We had to get him under control. Loveridge was out the game. We took our jerseys and our Adidas gear off. She is still on that same penny slot machine. Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart told reporters recently that he still isnt running particularly well after suffering a calf strain against the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. "I ask God to bless me and my family to be together for Christmas.". He was too young to live through that.". But it was blatant. Marcus never told Michael that the man an acquaintance of Michael -- shot at him, only that the man tried to beat him up. Michael says. ", Looking back eight years later, Marcus says, "We had plenty of nights like that. It makes me feel bad. Still in disbelief, Marcus walked to the other side of the bed thinking Todd was merely sleeping. Smart: Oh yeah. Sign up for the Celtics Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Phil Forte, teammate: The 2K games got more competitive than anything Ive ever seen on the court with our team. The Timberwolves had been hoping a Marcus Smart extension would not happen in Boston, sources say, so as to be able to trade for Smart. The core, anchored around Smart, had been together since grade school. Lets go. And the kids eyes were so big. "Thank God I had both parents and older brothers. They played at the same high school for the same coach and wore the same jersey at Lancaster (Texas) High School. Thomas: We were playing a team from Utah. Probably the best high school football player ever. Boren: Shes walking onto the court. "How would you put it? Forte: It was never personal. And we had great parents. Related sponsored items. "He was like reborn," Camellia says. She taught him to, number one, never take shit from anybody, but at the same time she also taught him to be humble and never be disrespectful to people. / Links. He came home safe. An extra hand on my back helping to guide me. You pop up on him. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onBoston Celtics and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Who averaged more points in playoffs? Marcus and his friend leaped over the second-story railing, landing hard on the concrete below. Marcus jumped right in his way, and he pushed Marcus. Suggestions? $2.99 + $1. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2021-22 Panini Donruss Optic Marcus Smart White Sparkle Prizm Celtics at the best online prices at eBay! And I guess thats a testament to growing up without brothers and then having sons. Marcus says he shared his story with USA TODAY Sports, including many details that he never told close family members, so that other troubled children who have endured the loss of loved ones and hardscrabble environments have a template for success. "Just imagine him that close to you with a chainsaw, that's how close he felt. Since coming back from an injury and a second bout with COVID-19 on January 23, 2022 in a road game against the Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics veteran point guard Marcus Smart has been playing some truly amazing basketball for a team making moves up the Eastern Conference standings. Him passing away, it was not him ending; it was him starting something new through me. The best way to measure this is with the NBAs Second Spectrum player tracking matchup statistics, which are unfortunately only available for the past three seasons. Forte: Marcus almost enjoyed it. We were wrestling and broke my dads bed. Boren: We played Plano West. The first and most obvious victim is poor R.J. Barrett. The University of Arkansas announced on Wednesday former IU great Keith Smart will be joining Eric Musselmans staff as an assistant coach. Should Smart play more? I remember boxes of shit arriving at tip-off. You know how you dunk the ball and you all hype. And he never told his mother, but at the time she knew he needed help, an escape from that environment. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. I had my highlights, but I just wanted to win. Our video guy was Phillips dad. In an AAU basketball world marked by rapidly shifting rosters, Smarts Dallas-area team stood out as an exception. It's just not a pretty sight to try to imagine running, literally running for your life.". I kind of feel like that sometimes. I'm a reflection of my mom, my brothers and everyone in my family. Yes, that was Marcus Smart. ESPN better not move Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler to Monday Night Football, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans finally have a uniform to be proud of, the shamrock and No. Its not about them getting money, like some mentors do. It is what it is, and well go and win the next game.. They put us in a pool that we had to qualify to get to the championship bracket. Forte: It took him a while to get recognition over some of the top guys in the country just because he didnt shoot it great. It is what it sounds like. When you meet someone, send an impression this is a great kid. ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Smart and those around him say he got much of his personality from his mother, Camellia, who passed away from cancer in 2018.