Marcus Smart is very similar to Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird — here’s why

Despite having different game styles, and playing different positions, in many ways Marcus Smart is arguably the closest thing the Boston Celtics have had to Larry Bird since… well, Larry Bird.

Boston Celtics legend and NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird joined WEEI’s Ordway, Merloni, & Fauria’s afternoon radio show on Wednesday taking part in Diabetes awareness.

Bird reflected on his thirteen year playing career with the Celtics, and what it meant to be an athlete in Boston representing the Shamrocks and the city, as he’s risen to the top of Boston’s “Mount Rushmore.”

We all have heard about the grit and attitude Bird brought to the parquet every night. The man wouldn’t tolerate for any disrespect towards not only himself, but his teammates as well. He was the heart-and-soul of the Boston Celtics during his tenure with the team.

Bird was widely known for his “smack talk” towards his opponents during games. From calling the shots he would take, to physically fighting the opponents; Bird was (and still is) a true bad-a**.

For his career, “Larry Legend” recorded impressive averages of 24.3 points,10 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Bird would go on to win three NBA championships and two finals MVP awards with the Boston Celtics.

As I think of the current state of the Boston Celtics, there’s only one player in particular that comes to mind when thinking of “Larry Legend”… Marcus Smart.

Through Smart’s first six seasons in the league with the Boston Celtics, we’ve seen him evolve, adapt and transition into a well-rounded NBA player. Most Celtics’ fans tended to cringe when Smart would take a shot, but now it’s becoming more and more accepted for him to stroke it; especially from down-town.

Smart has always struggled on the offense but, as of late, he is showing that he can in fact be productive on that side of the court.

Through the first ten games of the season, the Marcus Smart is averaging 11.7 points per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of .388; which are both career highs.

Smart has quietly worked his way up to being seventh on the Celtics’ all time three-pointers list with 447. Larry Bird sits at number three all time for the C’s with 649.

Smart is an elite defender who takes pride in guarding the opposing team’s best player. Many people think “The Young Gamechanger” has been ‘snubbed’ of NBA All-Defense honors in seasons past. Last season, however, the 25-year-old made First Team All Defense for the first time in his career.

Bird said something on Wednesday afternoon that made me think of Smart:

"“If you’re going to play in Boston, you need to play hard. I got paid to win games and that’s all I cared about. The back pain wore me down physically. Mentally it was tough and it finally wore me down to the point where I had to get out. I knew in ‘92 when Cleveland beat us that it would be my last game because I just couldn’t take it anymore. The way I played the game from an early age all the way through, I knew when I got to the league that I wasn’t going to have a long career. But I wasn’t going to change the way I played.” – Larry Bird on WEEI’s OMF"

It made me think of our scrappy defender because of his abusive style of play. Bird said he knew he wouldn’t last long in the NBA just because of how physical the game was on his body. Just think of how many times you see Smart hit the floor flat on his back during a game?

Game in and game out, Smart truly takes a beating. Nobody is indestructible, but the five-year veteran makes a good case for being so. With his style of play, should Smart start preparing and thinking about his longevity in the NBA?

I feel like most professional athletes often think about their longevity in their respective sports and Smart is no different.

Similarly to Bird, Marcus Smart has now risen to the status of being the heart-and-soul for the Boston Celtics, and will not accept any disrespect or slander towards his Boston Celtics teammates.

That type of grit and grind certainly has a special place in the hearts of Boston Celtics fans. And that’s thanks, in large, to Larry Bird.