National Basketball Association

Smart Thinking

Updated Jul. 17, 2020 3:55 p.m. ET

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With the NBA, NHL, NASCAR and other major sports leagues and sporting events suspended or canceled, professional athletes are using their platforms to facilitate financial support for arena workers and those affected by COVID-19 across the nation. Each day, we will feature a philanthropic effort taking place in the sports world.

Even before his quarantine was in full-swing, Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart was looking at things from a glass half-full perspective.

A few days later, he had no choice but to look at things that way.

Smart is in his sixth season with Boston, after being drafted by the Celtics out of Oklahoma State with the sixth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He has become a fan favorite in Boston for his rugged approach to the game, earning his first NBA All-Defensive First Team honor just last season.

He is also beloved for his approach to hairstyles.

And now, having recovered from the coronavirus that is affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals across the United States and the globe, Smart is giving the love back.

Although Smart is known to take a fun approach to the game and to social media, his efforts to fight back against COVID-19 are serious, evidenced by his donation to the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project.

He also implored the younger generation – Smart just turned 26 on March 6 – to think of the older generation as we all navigate this pandemic.

In fact, the day after announcing that he had tested positive for COVID-19, Smart joined Chris Cuomo on CNN to discuss the coronavirus.

Cuomo, the brother of New York governor Andrew Cuomo, was diagnosed with the coronavirus shortly after this interview.

Smart said that he was cleared of the coronavirus as of March 27.

Now, he's hoping his blood plasma will help those researching a vaccine to cure or curb COVID-19.

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