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Get to know NBA star Marcus Smart, his wife Maisa Hallum, and his journey from the Boston Celtics to the Memphis Grizzlies.
In this article, we will be taking a look at Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart.
Marcus Smart, the point guard for Oklahoma State, flung rocks at people's heads six years before he rose to prominence as one of the country's most admired college basketball players.
Through a path marked by profound personal loss and self-discovery, the unassuming 18-year-old probable NBA lottery pick became one of the sport's most humble stars.
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Having watched one elder brother die of disease and another almost fall victim to cocaine, he was filled with rage.
Here is a breakdown of his career from Dallas to the biggest basketball league in the world.
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Who is Marcus Smart
Despite tragedy, Marcus grew up in a close-knit household that didn't often pout.
There was his mother, Camellia Smart, who has lived with one kidney ever since and attends dialysis three times a week.
Billy Frank Smart, the 66-year-old biological father of Marcus and Michael Smart, has been her spouse for 38 years.
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Additionally, Todd and Jeff Westbrook were born decades before Michael and Marcus, to a different father.
Todd, a second father figure to Michael and Marcus, was the family's backbone, while Camellia, whom the brothers called Wonder Woman for her strength and work ethic, served as its heart.
Marcus Smart and a near-death experience
Marcus, at twelve years old, yearned to hurt other people as much as possible.
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Like so many previous nights, this one near his Lancaster home started with Marcus and a friend packing pebbles into their jeans pockets.
Marcus had no idea that this night would turn out to be so important in his life.
They let loose with rocks after spotting a man riding a bike and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.
They laughed and high-fived each other as the rocks struck the victim, who fell to the ground.
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After all he could hear was the frantic voice threatening to murder him, and the thumping of a man running up the stairway.
Leaping over the second-story railing, Marcus and his friend landed hard on the pavement below.
Marcus ran faster than he had ever run on a basketball court or football field, weaving through alleyways to reach The Meadows, a nearby complex.
The footsteps and the ominous voice got closer behind Marcus and he was unaware that the man belonged to the street gang known as the Bloods.
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He was also unaware that the man was holding a loaded gun until he cast a sidelong glance into the dark streets.
This event is a turning chapter in the life of Marcus as he went on to become a professional basketball player.
Marcus Smart and family trauma
Todd, who had one season as a guard for Lancaster High School and hit 62 percent from the field, was, Marcus knew, the man destined to play in the NBA.
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Marcus had already heard all the stories from the 1980s that made him look up to Todd by the time he started dribbling a basketball around the house in his boots.
Marcus understood how his mother felt when physicians discovered a tumor behind Todd's eye when he was fifteen years old.
Todd passed away at the age of 33 following an 18-year fight with cancer.
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Marcus Smart and journey to the NBA
First up for Smart is assisting the United States in winning gold in the 2013 FIBA World U19 Championship.
In 2013, he was voted the USBWA National Freshman of the Year and the Big 12 Player of the Year throughout his two years as an Oklahoma State Cowboy.
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He is a versatile guard that the Boston Celtics drafted sixth overall in the 2014 NBA Draft.
In addition to winning the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, he assisted the Celtics in making it to the NBA Finals in 2021–2022.
Since his draft selection in 2014, Marcus Smart has been a Boston fan favorite, and it's easy to understand why.
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He became known for being one of the scrappiest players in the game, giving every play his all and persistently getting under his opponent's skin with his determination.
Since his early years, Smart has possessed these distinctive qualities, which were ingrained in him by his late mother Camellia, who passed away in September 2018 after a protracted fight with cancer.
At Edward S. Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, Smart was a two-time 5A state champion and captained his team to a 115–6 record over three seasons.
Smart was ranked as the top shooting guard in the country and the tenth-best player overall in 2012. He was selected a McDonald's All-American and rated as a five-star prospect by ESPN.com.
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At Marcus High, Smart averaged 15.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in his last season.
Smart attended Oklahoma State for two years. In his first year, the team finished third in the Big 12 with a 24-8 record. In the 2013 NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma State was seeded fifth but lost to Oregon, ranked twelve, in the opening round.
Smart averaged 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in his sophomore year.
A contentious fight with a Texas Tech supporter on February 8, 2014, which resulted in a three-game suspension for Smart, soured his season.
Despite Oklahoma State's subsequent loss to Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament's opening round, Smart's efforts were acknowledged.
He became the first player in tournament history to finish with 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a game as he finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals in the defeat.
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During his debut season, Smart participated in 67 games with the C's, starting 38 of them.
With a game average of 7.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 steals, he was selected for the NBA's All-Rookie Second Team.
In June 2018, Smart became a restricted free agent, but he quickly decided to stay in Boston by signing a four-year, $52 million contract.
In a three-team deal agreed upon by the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, and Memphis Grizzlies, guard Marcus Smart was traded to to the Grizzlies, guard Tyus Jones to the Wizards, and center Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics.
Marcus Smart and wife Maisa Hallum
Following his proposal in December 2022, the Memphis Grizzlies star and Hallum exchanged vows on September 16, 2023.
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Even though they might be discreet, Hallum has been seen cheering for Smart from the sidelines during basketball games.
During the 2020 Celtics playoff run, when NBA players spent the remainder of the season in the "bubble" because of the COVID-19 epidemic, she even sent him a heartfelt video greeting.
Along with being deeply committed to their charitable work, the pair has helped one another during the course of their partnership. An
Hallum stated in an April 2020 interview with Blueprint Concepts' "Women Making Waves" series that she and her sister both grew raised in California.
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Co-founding Sousa Swim with her sister, Hallum's firm, is one of her interests.
Hallum continued, saying that since starting the business following her college graduation, she has been concentrating on creating designs for the company.
Hallum and Smart were pictured together in October 2017 at the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation Tip-Off Gala, which was held at the Westin Waterfront Hotel in Boston.
On Christmas Day in 2022, five years later, Smart proposed to Hallum.
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For the engagement, he enlisted the aid of Will Smith, Hallum's favorite actor.
Watching a video greeting from Smith wishing her a Merry Christmas from Antarctica, Hallum looked perplexed in a video of his proposal that Smart shared on Instagram.
In front of 300 of their closest friends and family, Hallum and Smart exchanged vows on September 16, 2023, at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, California.
Players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, Grant Williams of the Charlotte Hornets, Daniel Theis of the Indiana Pacers, and Gary Payton II of the Golden State Warriors were among the prominent guests.
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In order to really enjoy their time with all of their loved ones, Hallum explained, the couple decided to make their wedding a weekend-long spectacle.
Hallum and her family have been pictured watching Smart's games from the courtside.
Hallum doesn't have an Instagram account, but Naseme, her sister, frequently shares images of her family cheering Smart on at games and other events.
As a member of the Celtics Women's Group, Hallum was shown the following year distributing candy on Halloween at the Boston Children's Hospital.
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