Reigning DPOY Marcus Smart once nearly ended his basketball career over a stupid injury

Marcus Smart has been one of the most important players for the Boston Celtics since he was drafted by the organization in 2014. Back in 2019, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year shared how a stupid injury almost cost him his basketball career in the NBA.

Back in the 2017-18 season, the Celtics lost a close game against the LA Lakers, which frustrated the defensive guard. Following the loss, Smart punched a picture frame that resulted in him getting injured. Several pieces of glass were lodged in his hand, which led to him missing 11 games.

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According to doctors, Smart was a few inches away from ever playing the sport again due to the injury that he suffered. The three-time All-Defensive player shared his experience in an interview with ESPN's Zach Lowe on the Lowe Post.

"To be honest, what the doctor told me as they're taking out this glass -- I actually still have the glass somewhere saved, to remind me each and every day how blessed I am to still be playing."

He continued:

"The doctor actually told me, like you said, an eighth of an inch away I probably might not be playing basketball again for the rest of my life. They said it would've torn everything in my hand."

"It was a pretty thick amount of glass that came out my hand. I couldn't believe it," he continued. "I'm looking at them opening up my hand, taking out glass, and I actually still have pieces of glass stuck in my hand now. They said would probably be more of a threat of them trying to go and get it than just letting it be in my hand."

Luckily, Smart was able to recover from the injury and is still an impactful player for Boston.

You might also be interested in reading: Why has Marcus Smart been fined $25K by the NBA? Exploring the incident that led to the Boston Celtics guard getting fined

How has Marcus Smart performed for the Celtics this season?

The Celtics had an incredible start to the 2022-23 season and Marcus Smart was one of the players who created the most impact. As the reigning DPOY winner, his defense has helped the team become the top defensive squad in the entire league. Boston currently holds the fourth-best defense in the association.

Looking at Smart's stats, he's contributed a lot to the team. He's averaging 11.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists while making 41.4% from the field and 33.3% of his shots from long distance. The 6-foot-3 guard has also been fairly available for the team, appearing in 57 games this season.

His importance to the team is indescribable and just his presence alone has helped the Celtics become a threat in the East, helping Boston become one of the three teams to clinch a playoff spot.

Also read: Who is Maisa Hallum? Is she married to Marcus Smart? All you need to know