The NBA champion proposed to Flores back in August of 2022, though he didn’t make an official announcement about it at the time. But this week, Smart revealed to reporters the romantic and intimate way he popped the question.

Smart explained that he decorated their backyard with flowers and photos of the couple over the years. As Flores made her way outside, she found Smart waiting for her, down on one knee. “She was completely surprised and had no idea it was coming,” said Smart.

Close friends of the basketball pro say he planned the proposal himself from start to finish. “Marcus wanted it to be a special moment that was just about the two of them,” said one friend.

True to Smart’s low-key style, the proposal was kept casual and out of the public eye. There was no flash mob, no jumbotron announcement – just a man in love wanting a private moment with the woman he intends to spend his life with.

Smart and Flores first met back in 2016 and have been inseparable ever since. And though Smart plays tough on the court, he showed his soft romantic side when it came time to ask for Flores’ hand in marriage.

While the newly engaged couple have remained mum about wedding details, sources say they are envisioning an intimate ceremony thatFocus is everything on their love and relationship. After a low-key proposal far from the spotlight, it looks like Smart and Flores will continue doing things their own way.