Al Horford has been the backbone and pillar of the Celtics for the past few years. His defense, 3-point shooting, and especially the locker room leadership are some of the main reasons why the Celtics have been as consistent. Even at the age of 37, Horford has proven to be a valuable veteran to a team. He has also shown that he can score a bunch of points off the bench to will his team to victory. To put it shortly, Horford is the type of player whose value cannot be seen on the stat sheet.
Al Horford who is known as "Big Al" amongst NBA fans, was always destined to be a star in the NBA. There was superstar hope and potential for him and coming out of high school, Horford was a five-star recruit. He then chose to play for the Florida Gators, choosing it over premium basketball programs such as Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. After playing three years with the Gators and winning the NCAA championship twice (in 2006 and 2007), Horford declared for the NBA draft and was picked by the Atlanta Hawks with the 3rd overall pick.
Horford made his impact immediately on the league, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year race and being unanimously named to the All-Rookie First team. After that Horford made it to two straight all-star teams and was primed to be in the best shape of his career and was looking to be one of the best players in the league. Injuries, however, took a toll on Horford’s career and it was in 2015 when he led the Hawks to the 2nd best record in the NBA, earning an all-star spot along the way.
Al Horford’s Rings
Al Horford has never been an NBA champion in his long NBA career. However, that doesn’t mean that he has never come close.
Mostly in his tenure with the Celtics, Horford has come close to winning an NBA title multiple times. In 2018, the Celtics made the Eastern Conference Finals and jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Cavaliers. However, the Celtics would go on to blow this lead as the Cavs would beat the Celtics in 7 games. In 2022, the Celtics would finally get over the hump in the East and made the NBA finals. But this time also they would come short as they would lose to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
The very next season in 2023, the Boston Celtics were hungry for revenge and were looking to make a statement by winning the NBA championship. However, after falling 3-0 to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics did the impossible and managed to force a Game 7 at home, only to lose it in a blowout fashion. In the 2024 NBA finals, the Boston Celtics will be the favorites so it may not be so out of the blue to see Al Horford win his first ring.
FAQs
A. Al Horford currently plays for the Boston Celtics.
A. Al Horford is 37 years of age, as of May 2024. He will be 38 on June 3rd, 2024.
A. Yes, Al Horford is a four-time all-star.
A. Al Horford is from the Dominican Republic.
A. Al Horford is generally regarded to be an elite shooter for the big man position.
