Marcus Smart aptly describes why he'd thrive in '60s or '70s NBA

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Do you ever watch Marcus Smart play tenacious defense and wonder how much he'd enjoy playing in the rough-and-tumble NBA of old?

Apparently Smart has had the same thoughts.

Speaking to Mirin Fader for an excellent Bleacher Report feature story published Thursday, the Boston Celtics guard insisted his aggressive style of play would have served him well if he'd entered the league 40 or 50 years ago.

"Back in the '60s, '70s, my mindset and the way I play would be perfect," Smart told Fader. "They play like that every game."

A bit more contact was allowed back then, of course; fewer ticky-tack fouls at the rim or flops from the 3-point line (looking at you, James Harden). Unsurprisingly, Smart believes today's NBA has gotten a little soft.

"I think we kind of lost that in today's game," Smart said. "Everything's become real cute. Everybody's scared to go to the rim. Everybody's scared to get hit. Everybody's scared to touch."

Anyone who's watched Smart play knows he's the exact opposite.

"I thrive on the contact. Contact is in my nature," he added.

Smart's willingness to get physical is part of what makes him an excellent defender, but he still hasn't earned any NBA All-Defensive team nods through four seasons. He doesn't sound concerned, though.

"A lot of this stuff, it's a popularity contest," Smart told Fader. "… That doesn't determine the type of defender I am. That doesn't mean that I'm a bad defender. That doesn't mean that I'm not a great defender. It just means that some people like others more than others

Now would be the time where we'd add a snarky comment about Smart thriving in the '60s and '70s because he wouldn't be able to shoot 3-pointers. (The NBA established the 3-point line in 1979.)

But in addition to his ferocious defense and underrated playmaking ability, the 24-year-old is shooting surprisingly well this season -- his 35.9 percent clip from 3-point range ranks above LeBron James, Chris Paul and Mike Conley, among others.

Some would argue Smart still should shoot less, but it'd be an undeniable treat to watch him take the floor with Celtics legends like Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Tommy Heinsohn.

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