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SAN FRANCISCO — Al Horford doesn’t exude a lot of visible emotion. It’s his style for 15 NBA seasons. Quiet type of player who does his job.
However, his Boston Celtics teammates are happy that Horford has finally reached the NBA Finals, having previously reached the Conference Finals three times.
“Nobody deserves it more than this guy on my right, man,” Jaylen Brown said after the Celtics beat Miami in Game 7 of the East Finals. “His energy, his demeanor, stepping in every day, being a pro, taking care of his body, being a leader, I’m proud to share this moment with a veteran, a mentor, a brother, a guy like to can Al Horford, man. He’s been great all season, really my whole career. I am happy to be able to share this moment with someone like him.”
The procession of superlatives continued as the Celtics arrived in San Francisco for the Finals.
“We loved him,” said Marcus Smart. “Al’s the OG, man. He puts the work into it.”
Any player appreciates reaching the finals, but you know how much a player is respected and adored when their teammates are more excited about them than they are.
This is Al Horford for the Celtics. And of course Horford appreciates his way to the final.
“Just grateful for this opportunity,” he said. “At the end of the day you just go out and play basketball. That’s it. . . . God put me in this position and it is something I accept and rejoice in. I’m just happy to be able to share this stage with this group of guys. We have a lot of great guys here, guys who really believe in what we’re trying to do.
“It’s just fun to see how it all comes together.”
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When Horford was the primary reason the Celtics won Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals 120-108, the teammates’ praise continued.
Horford notched a team-high 26 points, including 11 in the crucial fourth quarter, and he made 9 of 12 shots from the field, going 6 for 8 with 3 points. Two of his 3s came during a 24-11 Celtics run that converted a 92-85 Warriors lead into a 109-103 Celtics advantage.
“Phenomenal,” Brown said. “We need that. We want that. We want this experienced leadership to carry us. Al had some great looks. We encouraged him to keep taking them. He came out of his first finals game and played fantastic. He carried us and led us to victory.”
A year ago, Horford, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Friday and was stuck in Oklahoma City, was sent from Philadelphia to the Thunder ahead of the start of the 2020-21 season, where Horford didn’t fit. But he was not part of the Thunder’s plans. He played in just 28 games and has been inactive for the team’s last 28 games.
What remained of his NBA career at 35?
The Celtics and basketball operations president Brad Stevens had plans to revitalize Horford’s career. He played for Boston from 2016-17 to 2018-19. Boston repurchased Horford in a deal with Thunder.
“When I got the call from Brad, it was really, really exciting,” Horford said. “We’re all just screaming in the car, just really, really excited, really, really grateful. Right away we make plans, how we’re going to go back to Boston, get a physical, do all that stuff.
“It was a really happy time for my family back then. Especially for me because I wanted to be there.”
Horford was visiting his mother in Atlanta with his family when he learned about the trade. “I’ve played with these guys before,” he said. “I know what they’re about. I just knew that if we could get it together we’d get a chance, we’d have a chance. I believed in that from the start.”
The Celtics weren’t just doing him a favor. They needed him to perform and he did. Horford averaged 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and shot 46.7% from the field and 33.6% on 3-points. But Horford is a player whose value cannot be measured in traditional statistics. His punching power, especially defensively, is far greater. He can shoot 3s, clear the court, pass and defend guards, forwards and middles.
In the postseason, the Celtics average 113.8 points and allow 103.2 points per 100 possessions. His plus-10.7 net rating is higher than Jayson Tatum, Brown and Smart. He brings a savvy, old-fashioned game – nothing flashy – to the Celtics and was one of the main reasons they capped Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jimmy Butler in the East Playoffs.
“It’s unbelievable what he’s done all season,” said Celtics coach Ime Udoka. “Like I said, came into camp in extremely good shape, chip on my shoulder, proud, wanted to go back to Boston. … His leadership goes without saying. A singing guy, but he leads by example a lot and I think everyone is connected to him in some way.”
