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Smart Excited To Play on 21st Birthday

Marc D'Amico
Team Reporter and Analyst

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NEW ORLEANS – Most young adults want to celebrate their 21st birthday at the bar. Marcus Smart? He’s a bird of a different feather.

Smart, who turned 21 today, has made some different plans for his celebration. He’ll be out on the court at the Smoothie King Center taking on Anthony Davis and the Pelicans, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Most people can’t say that they’re living out their dream and on their 21st birthday,” Smart said Friday morning. “So this is definitely a big deal for me tonight, to be able to play on my 21st in the career I want to play in.”

Tonight won’t mark the first time Smart will play on his birthday. Some of the biggest moments of his basketball career have taken place on March 6.

“My sophomore, junior and senior year (of high school), to go to the state championship game, was on my birthday,” said Smart, “and we won all three years. So I guess you could say I play well on my birthday.”

Smart continued that trend into his college career. He also played on his birthday during his freshman season at Oklahoma State. Smart stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, eight rebounds, five steals and three assists when he took on Iowa State exactly two years ago.

Brad Stevens has a guess as to why Smart has been so successful while playing on his birthday in the past. The coach believes it has a lot to do with Smart’s competitive nature.

“I don’t think it matters what day of the year it is with him. I think he just wants to play and compete,” Stevens said. “His No. 1 quality is the contagious energy he brings to compete.”

Smart will have a great opportunity to showcase that quality tonight in New Orleans. Tonight’s game, featuring two teams that are battling for their playoff lives, will be highly competitive. The Celtics need Smart to play at a high level in order to grab an important road victory.

That’s why Smart called his 21st birthday celebration “exciting.” Most people in his situation would rather be at a bar, but he’ll be more than happy to be dribbling a basketball instead.