Celtics Marcus Smart's ninja kip-up gets everyone's attention


Marcus Smart is back, and he looks lighter and leaner to me. It appears that he may have spent his injury down-time wisely. His best move last night against the Chicago Bulls was not a play and was not even part of the game. But it got everyone's attention.


Needless to say, the ninja kip-up is not an easy maneuver. Being lean, strong and athletic certainly helps. Visually, Marcus looks to be the leanest he has been since joining the Celtics, and he has always been one of the strongest guys in the NBA. Here is a brief video of a kip-up.



Marcus isn't a loudmouth or braggart. We never hear much from him, but he does his game preparation quietly and he lets his play on the floor speak for him. I guarantee he has been practicing that move in private for some time now. Here is what Celticswire.usa's Jared Weiss had to say about Smart's kip-up:

Marcus Smart may be a ninja guys.
There is so much focus on Marcus Smart’s combat muscle, it’s easy to miss his shadow boxing technique. His skills were honed in the Defender’s Dojo, where he learned to guard all five positions.

But in Monday night’s 105-89 blowout win for the Boston Celtics over the Chicago Bulls, Smart reminded us of his shaolin style.

Smart can hit the floor in majestic ways and apparently, he can get off of it with even more magic. We still don’t know if Smart is a ninja from a secret society, sworn to protect the defensive rating at all costs.

As a 2014 NBA draft prospect, Marcus had a body fat percentage of 10.55, very high for a future pro basketball player. He is much leaner than that now and able to be faster and quicker. Jaylen Brown seems to have his free throw shooting under control, and we all hope Smart can do the same with his field goals. A few will criticize him for showboating with his Ninja kip-up, but I won't. It's great to see the strength, physique and athleticism in one explosive move.

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Photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
Video via Lahit cloudhary