Marcus Smart infamously punched a frame in a Los Angeles hotel after a one-point loss to the hapless Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. To this day the Boston Celtics guard still keeps a piece of the glass that cut his hand and forced him to miss 11 games with a deep laceration.

The defensive ace revealed why he still keeps that glass, despite having put that turbulent moment of his life behind him,

“To remind me each and every day how blessed I am to still be playing,” Smart revealed in The Lowe Post podcast with ESPN's Zach Lowe, noting the doctor told him he was 1/8 inch away from potentially not being able to ever play again.

Smart had made a line of questionable decisions in the past, but none more nonsensical than sidelining himself for that one month stretch for not getting a hold of his emotions.

Ever since, though, he's been a model citizen and become a leader for the Celtics, both as a defensive stalwart and a veteran presence to guide the many young faces in the roster.

Smart was one of the lucky 450 players that get to play in the NBA, and nothing will force a wake-up call faster than a doctor telling him he was millimeters away from never being able to play again.

The 6-foot-3 guard has taken this new lease on life and made the most of it, now averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists as a vital cog of this Celtics roster.