Boston Celtics
Horford stated he would share extra particulars later earlier than including that he felt it was time for him to go elsewhere.
Al Horford’s second stint with the Celtics was longer than his first, and it ended this previous offseason when he determined to signal with the Golden State Warriors.
There have been quite a lot of elements at play, together with cash and basketball alternatives. The Celtics had been trying to shed wage and get below the second luxurious tax apron on the time. Horford was eyeing a recent begin elsewhere.
Horford was requested about why he left Boston after the Celtics beat the Warriors 121-110 in San Francisco on Thursday evening. He didn’t get into specifics, however advised that the choice could have concerned some non-basketball associated points.
“I form of talked about that a little bit bit earlier,” Horford said. “However for me, the choice had one thing that was deeper than simply the basketball stuff of it, and it’s one thing that sooner or later I’ll share with folks, however for me if felt prefer it was the time to go elsewhere.”
It’s the second time Horford left the Celtics. He signed with the 76ers in free company forward of the 2020 season. Philadelphia traded him to Oklahoma Metropolis a yr later, and the Celtics introduced him again to Boston through a commerce with the Thunder.
In complete, Horford spent seven seasons with the Celtics and received his solely NBA title with the franchise. He has solely spent extra time with the Hawks, the place he started his profession almost twenty years in the past.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was requested about Horford’s feedback after the sport.
“On the finish of the day, I’m simply grateful that I received to educate him,” Mazzulla stated. “To me he’s a Corridor-of-Famer and he’s one of many guys once I first received the job that had my again and I feel that claims rather a lot about who he’s as a veteran. I feel one of many greatest issues to respect is to compete in opposition to any individual and the way you deal with that individual.”
“We deal with him with the utmost respect due to his capacity to impression the sport at each ends of the ground, after which on the finish of the day you say ‘hello’ to him, his spouse, and his children, and also you’re simply grateful for the connection that you’ve got transferring ahead.”
Horford additionally had reward for Mazzulla after the sport. He stated that he felt the Celtics discovered the blueprint to profitable with quite a lot of gamers filling in for injured ones final yr.
“The largest factor is that everyone’s purchased into what Joe is telling them, and he’s simply operating a extremely good program over there,” Horford stated. “Him and all these assistant coaches, they’re actually doing a superb job getting the blokes prepared, getting them to commit and play at a excessive degree, and that’s why I really feel prefer it’s so clean.”
The 39-year-old Horford was requested if he would contemplate retiring with the Celtics when the time comes.
“So far as the top of my profession, I don’t know,” Horford stated. “I imply, I all the time preserve that open. It might positively be a privilege to try this. However I’m simply clearly simply making an attempt to concentrate on ending out this yr.”
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