Gary "The Glove" Payton hands out accolades to Marcus Smart

A compliment from Gary "The Glove" Payton means a lot. Gary recently gave Celtics guard, Marcus Smart, a huge shout-out. The NBA Champion, 9X All-Star, DPOY (1996) and 9X All-Defensive Team star doesn't hand out accolades all that often.

I'm not sure some of you younger folks understand what kind of compliment this really is https://t.co/jlZqk6QszV
— John Karalis 🇬🇷 (@RedsArmy_John) January 14, 2020

Here are a few of Payton's plaudits to Smart:

"You remind me of myself - a lot!"

"You got the dog in you."

"You gotta be on the vocal side."

"You gotta be the one to take over."

The Glove won his only Championship as a reserve with the 2005-06 Miami Heat. In the 1995-96 season, Gary's 6th year in the NBA, he had averages of 19.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 7.5 APG and 2.9 SPG. But his best statistical season may have been 1999-2000 when he averaged an astounding 24.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 8.9 APG and 1.9 SPG. The following analysis is via Wikipedia:

Payton is widely considered one of the best point guards of all time. He is the only point guard to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times, an NBA record he shares with Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. He was also a nine-time NBA All-Star and a nine-time All-NBA Team member.

Considered the "NBA's reigning high scorer among point guards" in his prime, Payton is referred to as "probably as complete a guard as there ever was" by Basketball Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich.

Marcus' 6th-season numbers don't match those of The Glove, but the shout-out is appropriate. Smart does have "the dog" in him, and he learned, and employed, his "vocal side". Smart isn't the volume scorer that we saw with Payton, but like Gary, Marcus does a bit of everything to win. As @RedsArmy_John suggested, Payton's compliment was rare and much-deserved.

Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel, @CausewayStreet and Facebook

Comments

The Elm Street Nightmare

A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.) and Off. Steven Bezanson (Ret.) Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube Elm Street surfaces on four occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He resided on Elm Street in Townsend, Massachusetts 2.) He kidnapped a woman at gunpoint on Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 3.) He was tried, convicted and sentenced for the murders at Superior Court , corner of Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. When evil and cleverness reside in the same mind, the stage is often set for true horror. Such was the case with triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante . As a 16-year old , he quickly transitioned from: Minor thefts and breaking into homes To: Taunting and threatening a father and

Sign the Petition! Let's honor Tommy Heinsohn

No longtime Celtics fan can watch games this year without a somewhat heavy heart. For the last 50 plus years, we have been blessed as a franchise to have Tommy Heinsohn, Mr. Celtic himself, as a part of the organization. Whether it be as a player, coach, or commentator, Tommy has been an instrumental figure for the green, and his presence is missed on every broadcast. Nobody embodied what it meant to be a Celtic more than Tommy, and I know I miss his energy and ferocity every time Scal claims the refs "made the right call" against the Cs. While Tommy obviously belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Celtics, he is often overlooked in his place among the greats of NBA history. Looking back upon his life, one would be hard pressed to find someone with a bigger impact on NBA basketball than Mr. Celtic. For those who are unfamiliar, let's do a quick review. Tommy is one of 2 people to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player and coach (the other being the indomitable Len

Using trade exception to acquire Aaron Gordon needs consideration

The Orlando Magic's Aaron Gordon was taken fourth-overall in the 2014 NBA draft, two spots before Boston picked Marcus Smart at #6. I felt at the time that Danny Ainge would have taken Gordon with the sixth pick if the 6'8" power forward was still on the board. Well now, with a $28.5 million trade exception in his hands, it may be time to consider adding the super-athletic wing. Here's why: Brad Stevens feels you can't have enough mid-sized wings Brad Stevens does not favor the "little guys" because they often get mis-matched on defense by taller opponents. He also is not fond of the old-school, big centers. In his mind, they just can't be effective on his switching, perimeter defensive strategies. Gordon's salary fits the trade exception Aaron is set to earn $18.1 million this season and $16.4 million in the 2021-22 season. His salary was front-loaded, and that relatively-low $16.1 million figure kicks in when Jayson Tatum's max contract goes

Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

Search This Blog