Tag: hustle award

Marcus Smart’s best hustle plays with the Boston Celtics from 2022-23

The Flower Mound native was honored for his continuous dedication to giving it his all on the parquet.

Veteran Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart won the NBA’s 2022-23 Hustle Award earlier this week, his second consecutive season of being so honored — and the third time he has won the award in a five-year span.

Beating former teammate Aaron Nesmith (now with the Indiana Pacers) among other worthy competitors, the Flower Mound native was honored for his continuous dedication to giving it his all on the parquet, whether diving for loose balls or finding that extra gear on defense in key moments.

To honor Smart’s award this season, fan videographer Tomazs Kordylewski put together a clip of the best hustle plays Smart has unleashed on unwitting opponents in the 2022-23 season so far.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to see it for yourself.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is the winner of the league’s 2022-23 NBA Hustle Award

“Smart showcases hustle in every aspect of the game,” writes the NBA.

Per the NBA, veteran Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart is the winner of the league’s 2022-23 NBA Hustle Award, his second such honor in as many seasons and his third such award in the last five seasons. He is the first player in the award’s history to win it back-to-back.

The award was first given to Patrick Beverley, and Amir Johnson, Montrezl Harrell and Thaddeus Young have been the other recipients.

Per NBA.com’s Brian Martin, the NBA Hustle Award “rewards players that make the effort plays that don’t often appear in the traditional box score but impact winning on a nightly basis.”

“Hustle stats — including deflections, loose balls recovered, charges drawn, screen assists, contested shots, and box-outs — have been tracked by the NBA since the 2016 postseason and can be viewed on an individual and team level.”

“Smart showcases hustle in every aspect of the game,” the NBA release added. “The 2021-22 Kia Defensive Player of the Year, Smart doesn’t hesitate to dive on the floor for a loose ball and securing those 50-50 balls are a key component to earning more possessions. Smart finished 14th in loose balls recovered per game this season.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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