Marcus Smart must be doing something right to earn the admiration of a member of his team’s royal family.
Boston Celtics legend Dave Cowens praised the aggression with which Smart plays Friday during his appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio. Cowens believes Smart’s “edge” sets him apart from other NBA players, and it sounds like Big Red would have enjoyed playing alongside the 25-year-old during his career with the Celtics.
“He’s an aggressive guy, he has got an edge to him, he likes challenges, you can tell, and he’s not afraid to just play the game,” Cowens said. “He’s not thinking about consequences, he’s just trying to make things happen.
“I like guys like who will stretch their game and take chances and make the kind of plays that other guys don’t think about making. But it’s all part of his game.
“So he brings a uniqueness to them. Plus … I’m not quite sure how tall he is, but I see him really enjoying guarding guys that are much bigger than him. They try to post him up, and he has none of it.”
#Celtics Hall of Famer Dave Cowens tells @TermineRadio & @Jumpshot8 what makes Marcus Smart special. pic.twitter.com/ie4x0kKRud
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) November 21, 2019
We’re not shocked Cowens singled out Smart for praise. After all, Cowens led the NBA in fouls in 1970-71 and 1971-72, demonstrating in his first two seasons his willingness to be aggressive. Like Cowens in 1975-76, Smart added an NBA All-Defensive First Team honor to his resume.
If Smart persists in leading the Celtics to unexpected success, the ranks of his admirers only will continue to grow.
