N.B.A. players know Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is going to try to steal the ball. They might have an idea how. And yet, they fall victim time and time again.

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, center, looks to pass past Washington Wizards center Kristaps Porzingis, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Oct. 30, 2022, in Boston.

Marcus Smart is only 31 years old, but on a roster that includes 10 players who are 23 or younger, that’s old. “They call me Unc, and things like that,” Smart said, laughing.

BOSTON — Marcus Smart has spent far too much of his life sitting beside a hospital bed. He endured years watching his brother Todd battle Leukemia when Marcus was in elementary school in Texas.

What Marcus Smart and his former Celtics teammates are saying about his return to TD Garden Saturday night could be the first time Smart takes the parquet floor in an opponent's jersey. Marcus Smart.

Marcus Smart received a mostly warm welcome when he returned to Boston once as a visiting player on Sunday, but there was one tense incident between the former Defensive Player of the Year and a fan.

Sunday basketball notes Marcus Smart’s tribute in Boston will come, but he should be appreciated now for all he did, on and off the court By Gary Washburn Globe Staff,Updated July 8, 2023, 9:31 a.m.

The Commercial Appeal The latest on Marcus Smart's injury and when he may debut for the Memphis Grizzlies Damichael Cole, Memphis Commercial Appeal Wed, Oct 11, 2023 · 2 min read ...

“Smart isn’t a great shooter (32.3 percent from three over his career) and has struggled to stay healthy,” Pincus wrote. In 2022-23, Smart shot 33.6% from 3-point range on 5.6 attempts per game.

-- Marcus Smart has a job that often requires him to take charges from players 4 inches taller and 40 pounds heavier. After his Celtics played six games in nine nights, he was tired and sore.

Here’s the breakdown of the Marcus Smart extension: 💰2022/23- $17.2M 💸2023/24- $18.58M 💰2024/25- $19.96M 💸2025/26- $21.33M The above extension was the maximum that Smart was allowed ...