DALLAS — One of Dallas' own will take to the hard court in the NBA Finals for the first time in his career.
Marcus Smart, a Flower Mound native, will take on the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday night on WFAA. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Smart won the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and has been a cornerstone of the Celtics' success in the playoff run. He became the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996.
Smart graduated from Edward S. Marcus High School in Flower Mound and played collegiately for Oklahoma State University from 2012 to 2014. Smart was an All-American and named Texas Mr. Basketball in 2012. During Smart's high school career, Edward S. Marcus High School won two 5A state championships.
The Boston Celtics selected Smart with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Since joining the Celtics, Smart has established himself as a premiere wing defender, being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team three times (2019, 2020, 2022).
In his NBA career, Smart has averaged 10.5 points per game, 4.5 assists per game and 3.6 rebounds per game. This is Smart's eighth season in the NBA.
This post season, Smart's numbers have seen a rise, averaging 12 points per game, 4.8 assists per game and 4.4 rebounds per game.