On April 19, Beijing time, the NBA officially announced that Smart was elected the defensive player of the year for the 2021-22 season. Subsequently, a number of US media brushed the screen to congratulate, and the Celtic official website also posted a picture to congratulate Smart.
The US media posted a scene where Smart won the trophy, and NBA star "Glove" Payton appeared at the training ground to surprise Smart. Subsequently, when Smart was interviewed by the media, he changed into a coat with the words "Game Changer". He really tried to use his defense to change the course of every game.
This season, Smart has played in 71 games, averaging 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game, ranking high in a number of high-level defensive statistics. In the playoff opening game against the Nets, Smart contributed 20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. He was the first defender to receive the award after Payton in 1995-96, so it would have been fitting for Payton to present him with the award.
Against the Nets, Smart steals Irving's serve to complete a dunk, which is impressive. The official website then announced the specific votes, Smart received 37 preferred votes with a total score of 257 points, Bridges 202 points, Gobert 136 points, and Adebayo 128 points.