In a feature for ESPN, Dave McMenamin shared a story about how Marcus Smart nearly jeopardized his basketball career following an emotional moment early in his time with the Boston Celtics.
After missing a potential game-winning three-pointer against the Lakers in January 2018, Smart reacted by punching a framed picture in his hotel room, which resulted in a serious injury to his hand.
The impact left a five-inch shard of glass lodged in his hand, and Smart said he had to be rushed to the emergency room, where he lost consciousness due to significant blood loss.
“The doctor looked at me in my eye and told me, ‘I don’t know how you still have use of your right hand,’” the player said.
“‘You should honestly be thanking God every day.’ … They said it laid perfectly in between every tendon in my hand without damaging anything. And they had to leave the extra piece in, because they said it will cause more damage if we go get it out.”
Smart needed 20 stitches and was sidelined for 11 games, but the situation didn’t fully resolve even after he returned.
He revealed that the piece of glass remained in his hand for years and continued to affect him on the court.
“For six years after the incident with the glass, I still had glass in my hand and I played with it,” Smart said.
“And there would be times where because of that, my hand would go numb. A lot of times, a lot of games, I couldn’t control it. I had to play and there were a lot of times when I’m shooting the ball and just, I had no feeling in the arm, the hand.”
Lakers Notes: Luka, Reaves, LeBron, Smart, Ayton, Playoffs https://t.co/VG6ji8nZR7 pic.twitter.com/VdtLx4xWec
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 17, 2026
