A biography for Marcus Smarthasn’t been written yet.
“I am used to coming in second and then all of the sudden finishing in first because nobody expected me to do it. Kind of like David and Goliath, you know. I'm not the giant.”
“I remember times putting on my shirt and having to tuck my stomach in because I didn't like the way it looked.”
“My whole life I've worked. My whole life I've been counted out.”
“Make sure you're building your brand early and make sure it's a good brand so in life after basketball, you have an option and you have resources to help you with that.”
“I've always felt like a little bit of an underdog at each level - never the tallest or strongest or even fastest. But one thing I've always tried to do was to play harder than anyone on the court.”
“I always leave everything on the court, every game. Tell me how many other players can say that.”
“I love reflexology - it's amazing. As a person whose career is on my feet, it relaxes me and keeps me healthy and helps me do those long hours on the court.”
“I'm a lock-up defender and I believe strongly in my defense, so I don't need to take cheap shots at guys to get an edge.”
“Off the court, I'm a totally different person. I've heard people be like, 'Oh, so sweet, like a big ole teddy bear.' But I guess I still have that look on my face in a game. I guess I still have a vibe where it's intimidating.”
“My time at Oklahoma State and in Stillwater has been amazing. I met some amazing people, got to play with some great guys and great teammates, and I built some strong relationships and bonds there.”
“I have a great body for the NBA.”
“Whoever you put in front of me, I'm not going to back down.”
“I could've easily let the passing of my brother control how I live my life. But I was determined not to let him die in vain and to make a negative into a positive.”
“The most physical, most annoying games I ever played in my life were against my brothers growing up.”
“I believe in myself. I always have and I always will.”
“I defend just like my brother Todd lived. He taught me how to play defense by the way he lived his life. I defend like every game is my last game, like anything can be taken away at any moment, and that's what my brother taught me. That's what he always preached to me, so that's how I believe the game should be played.”
“Me and discrimination, me and racial profiling... we go way back. We've got history.”
“My mom and brothers are my heroes.”
“Everybody who really knows me knows who I am, who I'm about and what I'm about.”
“I want to earn it, I don't want anything given to me.”