JR Interview with Marcus Smart

It's the JR sport brief show right here with you on CBS Sports Radio. Yeah, the NFL season is underway, but we are going to blink and we will be right back to NBA basketball. Plenty still going on in the world right now, and we are being joined by right now, this minute, this second, the reigning defensive player of the year. He's a former Oklahoma State Cowboy.

He is a Boston South against my main man, Marcus Smart. Marcus, how you doing, bro? Good, man. Thanks for having me. Thanks for having me.

No doubt about it. I know you were a different type of Cowboy. College man, and I know you're a fan of the Cowboys coming out the Metroplex.

First question. Can you play quarterback as I think Jerry might need one man? Oh man, don't give me story. But yeah, man, I played football before I ever played basketball. So that was my that was my ninja first.

I played quarterback a little bit, but why receiver was my my main position for me. Well, Jerry needs one of those two. What do you think? What do you think those Cowboys are going to look like for the rest of the year, man? I look too good. Listen, unfortunately for us, man, the Cowboys have been the Cowboys for since I've been. I'm 28, so for my 28 years, ain't nothing changed with them.

They do real good. And then it's time where it really matters. And unfortunately, we we at home watching everybody else again, so we'll see my expectations aren't high.

So whatever they do over those expectations is a bunch. Marcus Smart is here with us, man. We know we're getting ready for new season in the NBA. We saw what the Celtics did.

You won defensive player of the year. Y'all went to the NBA finals. We're coming into a new season. It seems like we snapped our fingers and boom.

We're already here. What is that experience? What can you and the rest of the squad take from that experience last year into this coming season? I think we can take from that is mentally draining.

I mentally draining and saying especially when you've never been there and that's your first time. They were getting there multiple times, so they they understood what mentally it was going to take physically and everything and they were prepared and the more experience than so close. We definitely were able to take that mentally. That mentality that you know the farther you go mentally to things that get harder.

Just as much as they do physically and you have to learn to be able to play through that mental fatigue. You know we had a lot of young guys and we were learning that and I think that's something that is definitely going to help us with next season. Well, Malcolm, do you talk about the even the change last season? You talked about more of the team ball starting in November.

We saw how your started off in New Year all the way into the finals. Now you add someone like Malcolm Brogdon, who was very complimentary of you, your IQ and how you play. What do you have to say to an addition like him and what he can bring to the team?

Man, and I've been telling everybody who's asked me that question actually like I know we didn't really get to see as much of Malcolm because he was hurt last recently. So but before he started, we understand you know he was all Star do doing this thing and you know we we know his game and it fits very well and I think it just a compliment. Normally the team in the bring the basketball that we want to play here in Boston and the Celtics because he has a great IQ. He understands how how to not only get himself on his teammates going and he's a good defender. So I'm saying so to add that along with a great defense team that we already have and another bigger body in another guy whose IQ is just as high as mine and other guys on the team. It only makes us more than Marcus smartest here with us raining defensive player of the year in the NBA.

Man, I know you even stopped the workout earlier to so we can go ahead and have this chat. What are you added to your game you're not the same player as when you came in, what have you been working on this summer. What have you seen from any of the other players on the team as well. Definitely, you know, each and every year, you know, got to get better. You know, for me that I took a big leap last year in that point guard role, you know, demanding the team and running my team but you know just even more crisper for me, you know, for me, really being able to just shoot the ball like I know I can and my teammates need me to to help, you know, guys like Jaylin and Jason, and just really continue to own up on my skills of being that leader. On the court, and, you know, really just becoming a more of a threat for my teammates and I think we all been doing it. You know, we know Jason is a great score, but he's also been working on facilitating taking his time and finding spots where to score.

And also, you know, working on getting everybody else involved as well so we've all been working on things that we think we should work on but things that we are great and just continue to hone those things and bring it all together mesh it all up and see what we get Marcus you talk about being a more polished point guard. When you want defensive player of the year, one of my favorite folks and a real nice guy he's a funny guy too he will rip the hell out of you, GP Gary Payton man. We connected you with that award, a, were you shocked that you received it we're used to seeing big men, get the defensive player of the year award.

And what was the first thing GP told you. Oh man, yeah I was. I'm not gonna lie, I didn't think it happened. And I'm saying, rightfully so big, you know, they do a lot. But, and also it's just, it's, we didn't really have as guards a way of showing our contribute our contributions and how much we contribute to that end, there was no stats are really determined for, you know, you got blocks or rebounds will be most of that, but people don't realize as a guard. In order for the big to get the shot, you got to make you the guy who's shooting to miss, and that's on us as guards, you know, we got to chase stuff off the screen and make sure you miss a three, and then chasing down and funneling to our big so it's like we do a lot that doesn't talk about does it get really a test to be able to give us the war so I was very surprised with that. So basically so much and then, not only that, to have GP, the man himself, the glove, the legend. It's hard to do it. Hand me the war himself was in itself just, I couldn't I couldn't even ponder it you know I've been doing PG for a while, GP for a while, you know, just talking to him when I used to talk to him growing up when you see me when he gave the war, he was just like, you finally did it. They finally you finally up here when you finally got one. Keep going so that meant a lot, especially when you tip your head and that's where you put your head is on the defensive end to get that recognition.

Marcus Martin see with us the JR sport re show CBS Sports Radio. Yeah man, GP is the best the last dude to win it. This is almost 20 plus years ago as a guard. Just never talk to GP about those nine is the conversation is never going to go positive, don't do it.

Don't do it. Do you know that. And Marcus we talked about GP one of the greatest point guards ever. Just your style of play your tenacity, and this is something amazing that you're doing right now. One of the key reasons that you play ball the way that you do is because your family, and you're working on a great cause to spread awareness right now with be the match and also for Affleck, explain to the folks, why you play ball so hard, and what your connection would be the matches explain after the people listening right now. We're definitely so I'm the youngest of four boys. So, you got siblings, you know, and especially if you're the youngest, you know what that means you know you got to fight you got to scratch and you got to call your way for whatever you want in the house.

Well, I got three of them. So I'm fine, not one but 234 at a time so when I come on the court, I'm saying for me is, if I can find my brothers who 20 years to 30 years, every day on this court off the court, then there's nobody on the court that steps in front of me that I can't face. And so that's how I go about it and my mom. And as she's the most strongest of all to have four boys and still demand that respect and you know saying as a mother. That's that right there that takes more than anything so you know saying, it wasn't like I was getting baby from her because she couldn't do that she had three other boys she didn't know what baby was so it was all tough love.

So when you get on the court, you're saying that comes out everything you work for your family. And then on top of that, I've also, you know, dealing with. I lost my mom four years ago to cancer, bone marrow to be exact and I lost my brother.

A while back, about 1415 years ago to lung cancer. And so, being able to partner with Aflac and be the match to be able to help bring awareness to cancer and sickle cell and other, obviously, blood related diseases is something that has hit home for me personally, and I think something that goes hand in hand with me. And the way that Aflac continues to, you know, to keep that. I'm sorry I'm breaking out but to really close the game. I'm sorry that it really close that gap, you know, in the fight the fight of, you know, helping finding the queue in the way that they continue to go and not give up is exactly how I play on the court, no matter what the odds are against me I'm going to continue to fight, and I'll continue to find a solution. Marcus smartest here with us the JR sport we show CBS Sports Radio I encourage everyone to go ahead and check out, be the match and we know when it comes down to sickle cell and even blood disorders and diseases and cancers.

Unfortunately these these things disproportionately affect African Americans, I think it's a matter of one and 365 of black Americans will be affected by such men. Talk about the importance of just some of the health inequities that we see we know we used to toughen it out, and it's just like this is a little bit of pain or this is just a minor thing and you keep going until you find out it's something larger. Talk about the importance of just getting checked out man.

Yes, huge, you know, with the technology we have now. We can catch a lot of things earlier than we used to. Which obviously you know helps dogs, but definitely the odds are very slim. When it comes to the funding so you know, and when people don't really know and understand, you know, very educated about something such as sickle cells. Then it makes it less more informal for them to know and to want to help or to want to go say, you know what, what can I do to change and help the change come, such as being able to go and be a donor and join up and swap your cheap and join the registry to be able to have options for, you know, kids and people who are dealing with this disorder to have donors and to be able to find a match.

And so, it's, it's tough, but I definitely would have to say there's no need for us to fight it out anymore there's no need for us to tough it out. You know saying do your research if you don't know, ask, ask questions, go get checked up, find out how you can go get checked up because you never know. By you doing it, you're saving a life and you don't know how many lives you possibly could say. Absolutely Marcus smart joining us the general sport ratio CBS Sports Radio, as we wrap things up that's for our own health, I think it's also important for healthcare providers to doctors and nurses to also be open minded that people come from different backgrounds and from different places. We got a lot of people who listen working in the hospitals working in the field sending the patients. What message would you share to healthcare providers about being open minded and also listening to people from different backgrounds with also where they're from.

Oh, I just have to say that everybody deserves to have a chance to have a cure, you know, and I think that that right there, enough that everybody has deserves a chance to be able to have a chance to find a cure, no matter what color you are no matter where you come from financially no matter what part of the country you come from, everybody deserves to be able to have an opportunity to have a cure and to have a fighting change. I appreciate that Marcus, talk to the Celtic fans out here everybody with that green and with that white. Are we expecting another run to the finals I mean it's gonna be tough in the East man what you got to say to the folks. It's gonna be tough in these but I'm saying we're the boss of substance green runs deep this what we do.

We definitely expecting another run, but we ain't expecting it to be easy we know we're up against but we're ready for. I can dig it Marcus I encourage everyone one more time to check out be the match where can they keep up with you Mr defensive player of the year. Man you can keep up with me on Instagram your game changer, Twitter everything. Just if you see me out, because I'm out in the city I do a lot in the city so if you see me I'll say what's up. So love me at the garden you already know I'm there. Just everywhere man, you will find me wherever really. So, if you see me, you want to hit me on game changer on Instagram hit me up. It really drops the market smart for everything that he's doing on the basketball court and also in the community, making sure that you know you can use your profile to help other people and make their lives a little bit easier. This is the JR sport we show here with you on CBS Sports Radio we are going to take a break and when we come back, we're going to get to some more basketball.