Marcus Smart won the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, and so the Boston Celtics made sure to reveal it to him in the best way possible: through Gary Payton.

But why did the Celtics choose The Glove? Well, before Smart, Payton was the last guard to win the DPOY back in the 1995-96 season. Not to mention that he's a one-time Celtic and a strong supporter of Smart's candidacy.

Payton surprised Smart during a team practice to break the news to him first. He also had a board showing Smart's tweet noting that for a guard to win the DPOY, he needs to have the initials GP. As Payton said it, that's not true because the Celtics vet has won it now.

That is definitely a special moment for Marcus Smart, and having Gary Payton reveal the award to him makes it even better. That is history right there.

There is no doubt that Smart deserves the recognition as well. After all, he has anchored the defense of the best defensive team in the NBA during the regular season. Sure enough, the Celtics won't be as good as they are defensively without him.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Jayson Tatum, Celtics, Tatum Celtics, Tatum cluch, Jrue Holiday

Jackson Stone ·

Blake Griffin with Celtics players telling him to come back before retirement.

Daniel Donabedian ·

A newspaper as the background, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks logos in the background

Owen Crisafulli ·

Mikal Bridges and Rudy Gobert were the other candidates for the award, and while both players certainly had a case, it is hard to argue with Smart's win.

Now that he wins the honor, Smart and the Celtics can fully focus on the task at hand: winning their first-round series versus the Brooklyn Nets.