gold star for USAHOF

19. Al Horford

19. Al Horford

Four times an All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks, Al Horford signed with the Boston Celtics in 2016 with the hope that this would be the team that would earn him his first NBA Championship.  It finally happened in 2024.

In Horford’s first season in Boston, he averaged 14 Points per Game and was a solid defensive player, aiding the Celtics in pushing Cleveland to a seventh Games in the Eastern Conference Finals.  The year after, Horford added his fifth All-Star, won Second Team All-Defensive honors, and again helped lead his team to the ECF, again losing to the Cavaliers.  After another solid season in 2018-19 where he averaged 12.6 Points and had a career-best .586 in Effective Shooting Percentage, Horford signed with division rival Philadelphia, but that did not end his story in Boston.

The Celtics reacquired Horford, who was now with Oklahoma City in a trade before the 2021/22 Season, and though the Center was aging, he was still a valuable starter capable of big moments.  Horford and the Celtics made it to the 2022 Finals, and though in 2022/23 he dipped below 10 Points per Game for the first time, his leadership still helped the Celtics make another deep playoff run.

Last year, Horford only started in half of his games, but though he has a reduced role, his veteran presence and defensive skills helped Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown win it all, with the trio winning their first NBA Championship.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Center
  • Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent 7/8/16.
  • Departed:

    Signed as a Free Agent with the Philadelphia 76ers as a Free Agent 7/10/19.

    Acquired (2): Traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder with Moses Brown and a 2023 2nd Round Pick (which would be Amari Bailey) for Kemba Walker, a 2021 1st Round Pick (which would be Alperan Senguin) and a 2023 2nd Round Pick 7/8/16.

    Departed (2):  N/A.

  • Games Played: 405
  • Per Game Averages:

    29.9 MP
    .559 eFG%
    .808 FT%
    11.6 PTS
    6.9 RB
    3.8 AST
    0.7 STL
    1.1 BLK

    108 Playoff Games
    33.4 MP
    .584 eFG%
    .792 FT%
    11.8 PTS
    7.8 RB
    3.5 AST
    0.9 STL
    1.` BLK

  • Advanced Stats:

    16.9 PER
    .591 TS%
    18.5 VORP
    41.5 WS

    108 Playoff Games
    16.7 PER
    .613 TS%
    5.8 VORP
    12.2 WS

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    NBA Champion (2024)
    Second Team All-Defensive (2017-18)
    All-Star (2017-18)

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