Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is one of the best lockdown defenders in the NBA today. He is a hard-nosed, no-nonsense defender who is willing to do whatever it takes to stop his opponents from scoring.

Love him or hate him, the 25-year-old guard is certainly fun to watch, especially for old school fans who are used to the overly physical style of basketball in the ‘90s.

Smart recently opened up about the time his NBA career could have been cut short after injuring his shooting hand back in 2018. The former Oklahoma State standout sustained a nasty cut after punching a picture frame in a team hotel room in Los Angeles.

“The doctor actually told me … an eighth of an inch away (and) I probably might not be playing basketball again for the rest of my life,” Smart recently revealed to ESPN’s Zach Lowe on “The Lowe Postcast.

“They said it would have torn everything in my hand. It was a pretty thick amount of glass that came out of my hand. I couldn’t believe it once I’m looking at them open up my hand and taking out glass.”

Luckily for Smart, he managed to return to the floor last year after missing 11 games for the Celtics. He now sees the experience as a constant reminder of how lucky he was to still be playing basketball for a living.

“I actually still have pieces of glass stuck in my hand now that they said would probably be more of a threat of them trying to and getting it than just letting it be in my hand,” he said.

“I actually still have the glass somewhere saved … to remind me each and every day how blessed I am to still be playing”.

Smart is currently averaging 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in his sixth season with the Celtics.