Today in Boston Celtics history, Marcus Osmond Smart was born in Flower Mound, Texas, in 1994. The future defensive specialist for the Celtics played his collegiate basketball with the Oklahoma State University Cowboys. During his time playing there, he was honored with the Big 12 Player of the Year award and was recognized as an NCAA Second Team All-American in 2013. The following year, he was named a Third Team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Smart was selected sixth overall in the 2014 NBA Draft and played the first nine seasons of his career for the Celtics. He earned All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2015 and was named to the All-Defensive First Team in 2019, 2020, and 2022, also receiving the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022. In 2023, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
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Happy birthday, Marcus!
Birthdays
It is also the birthday of Michael Finley, born today in Melrose Park, Illinois in 1973. Drafted out of Wisconsin by the Phoenix Suns, Finley played for that club, the Dallas Mavericks, and San Antonio Spurs before joining Boston in 2010, winning a title with the Spurs in 2007. The former Badger inked his deal with the Celtics on his birthday that year and played just 21 games for the team, averaging 5.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.
Oct 26, 2010; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics center Shaquille O’Neal (36) works the ball during the second half against Miami Heat power forward Chris Bosh (left) at the TD Garden. The Celtics defeated Miami 88-80. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
It is also the birthday of former Celtic and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, born in Newark, New Jersey in 1972. Shaq came to Boston late in his career, his final stop after four rings and 15 All-Star nods among other honors. It was time for O’Neal to hang it up, however, as injuries kept him to just 37 appearances that saw him score a career-low 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.
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Historic milestones
Finally, it was on this date in 2022 that star Celtics forward hung a career-high 54 points on Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets.
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 06 Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts after hitting a three-point basket during a game against the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden on March 6, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
“Those matchups — when you’re playing one of the better teams in the league, two of the best guys — as a competitor, those are the kinds of moments that as a kid you looked forward to,” Tatum said via the AP. “When those opportunities come, you try to make the most of it.”
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Smart, Finley, Shaq born; Tatum 54 vs. Nets