Marcus Smart has scrapped his way to a prestigious trophy.
The Boston Celtics guard won the NBA’s Hustle Award for the 2018-19 season Monday night in Los Angeles at the association’s annual awards ceremony. Smart claimed the honor for doing “all the little things to help his team win on a nightly basis.” Per NBA.com, these little things include:
— Diving on the floor for loose balls
— Sacrificing your body by taking charges
— Getting a hand in the passing lane to cause deflections
— Closing out on shooters to contest shots
— Setting solid screens that lead directly to made baskets for teammates
— Boxing out on both ends of the court to secure rebounds
Smart is just the third winner of the NBA Hustle Award, following Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley in 2017 and Philadelphia 76ers center Amir Johnson in 2018.
The Hustle Award is the second end-of-season prize Smart has won after voters last month picked him as a member of the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team.
