Seven seasons, 465 common season video games, 119 playoff video games, 5 Japanese Convention Finals appearances, two NBA Finals appearances, and an NBA title. For many NBA franchises, this is able to be greater than sufficient to have your quantity raised to the rafters… however the Boston Celtics are distinctive as probably the most embellished workforce in NBA historical past.
Now that Al Horford has mentioned farewell to the Celtics, we will look again on his time in inexperienced and weigh whether or not or not he deserves to have quantity 42 retired eternally. To raised consider his case for becoming a member of the Celtics’ best legends, we should look again at his affect on the franchise and his affect on the courtroom as a Celtic.
This footprint, each on and off the courtroom, should be elite. Solely two gamers have had their quantity retired by the Celtics within the final 20 years. The primary was Paul Pierce, Finals MVP and second all-time in factors. The second, Kevin Garnett, Defensive Participant of the 12 months, the soul, the guts, and the pedestal that led the Celtics to the 2008 title.
So, did Al Horford attain that elite stage of efficiency? Effectively, let’s dive into the previous!
Trying again at Al Horford’s profession as a Celtic, the primary phrase that involves thoughts is “winner.” In inexperienced, Horford received 69% of his video games, peaking at 79% within the 2023-24 season. For comparability, Kevin Garnett — the newest Celtic to have his quantity retired — had a 67% profitable charge. Whereas Horford didn’t win video games alone, this speaks extremely of considered one of his greatest strengths: adaptability.
The Dominican star first paired with Isaiah Thomas in a devastating two-man sport that helped unlock Thomas’ offensive superpower throughout the 2016-17 season. For that stretch, the Celtics’ total stage was much better when Horford was there to be the wanted lieutenant. With Horford and Thomas on the courtroom collectively, the Celtics had a +3.9 web score. When Horford sat and IT performed with out him, the web score dropped to +0.9.
Following the Isaiah Thomas period got here the Kyrie Irving period — and Horford nonetheless delivered. These two years had their ups and downs, however Horford persistently elevated the workforce. When Kyrie acquired injured and Gordon Hayward was nonetheless discovering his rhythm, Horford led a younger Celtics workforce all the best way to Recreation 7 of the Japanese Convention Finals. In opposition to Giannis Antetokounmpo, then Joel Embiid, Horford anchored the protection and served as a facilitator for a gaggle of younger gamers able to step up.
Once more, his affect was clear: a +6.88 web score with him on the courtroom, in comparison with +0.93 with out him. This tendency to all the time have a constructive impact on aggressive groups has been true all through his profession. He solely missed the playoffs twice — as soon as in Atlanta, and as soon as in OKC throughout a tanking season. Again in school, Horford even received back-to-back (!!) titles with the Florida Gators. A licensed winner.
And if we have a look at the newer stretch from 2021 to 2025 — as soon as Brad Stevens introduced him again to Boston — Horford nonetheless had a really constructive affect on a stacked roster: +9 web score with him on the courtroom. Elite numbers, main to 2 NBA Finals and one NBA title. That 2024 championship is perhaps what makes Horford’s case so sturdy for having his quantity retired in Boston.
Horford understood completely what it meant to be a part of this custom. He did the whole lot he may to realize what is perhaps the largest problem in basketball: profitable as a Celtic. As he mentioned, “You may win championships in lots of locations, however there’s nothing like profitable in Boston.”
The 2024 playoff run encapsulated that completely. After a daily season spent coming off the bench, he rose to the event within the playoffs, averaging greater than half-hour per sport and beginning 15 of the 19 contests.
Al embodied the Ubuntu mentality that carried the Celtics to their 2008 title. “I’m since you are.” This philosophy embraces the concept that people can’t exist in isolation — and Horford’s Celtics profession was the right instance. He grew to become no matter was wanted, adapting to whichever atmosphere was constructed round him.
His capacity to supply what was lacking, on any sort of workforce — from common rosters to all-time stacked squads — made him invaluable. It additionally explains why he by no means collected many particular person accolades. You don’t earn All-NBA or a number of All-Star choices by becoming seamlessly in all places, and perhaps that’s why he received’t be remembered fairly like different Celtics stars.
Nonetheless, if you look again at his affect and longevity, Horford deserves a whole lot of credit score.
Among the many brightest stars
One other criterion past profitable is longevity and placement in all-time rankings. It’s value what it’s value — generally overrated — however individuals love information and all-time lists. So the place does Horford stand amongst Celtics historical past?
His rankings are fairly revealing and spotlight how fashionable his sport really is. He’s high 10 in whole rebounds and rebounds per sport. Similar for blocks, rating sixth all-time for the Celtics. However he’s additionally within the high 10 for 3-pointers made and tried — and among the many most effective gamers, rating high 10 in eFG% and 2-point FG%.
For a participant who began his profession as an undersized massive who didn’t shoot threes, this reveals simply how adaptable Horford is. Rankings alone aren’t all the time the easiest way to guage a participant as a result of eras and contexts are so totally different. Nonetheless, his presence throughout so many classes for one of many NBA’s oldest franchises completely illustrates his uniqueness as each a participant and a Celtic.
Trying past the basketball courtroom, Horford’s management was plain. Jayson Tatum, who grew into the Celtics’ go-to man and led them to a title, mentioned, “Al confirmed me what it means to be an expert.” Horford set a excessive commonplace and made certain youthful gamers adopted his instance.
Even his choice to signal with the Celtics again in 2016 was groundbreaking. As detailed in HBO’s current collection on the Boston Celtics, Horford was the primary Black free agent to decide on Boston. Whereas that may appear anecdotal to some, it underscores simply how historic Horford’s presence was — each on and off the courtroom.
Wouldn’t it be sufficient to retire #42 eternally?
The case seems sturdy. Horford impacted each the Celtics and the town of Boston. He helped ship the 18th title, perhaps some of the vital in franchise historical past. He carried out on the highest stage, and the Celtics have been all the time aggressive with him within the lineup. He tailored to each scenario and ensured the celebs may shine due to him.
And but, maybe this very adaptability explains why his case isn’t ironclad. Trying up on the rafters, the retired numbers belong to gamers who have been the face of the workforce — the leaders carrying Boston to the summit — not essentially those that match across the stars.
Gamers whose numbers dangle within the TD Backyard are these with out whom nothing would have been attainable. Does Al Horford match that class? Trying again at the whole lot we’ve simply explored, I consider he does. Sure, he was by no means the offensive chief, the first playmaker, or the fixed difference-maker. However he was the inspiration of the elite defenses in 2018 and 2022. He was there when Porzingis went down throughout the 2024 Finals run. He gave the Celtics an opportunity in 2017 by way of his synergy with Isaiah Thomas. He led a younger group to the Japanese Convention Finals in 2018.
So no, Al Horford was by no means the Celtics’ franchise participant. However he was their godfather. And that’s the reason his quantity belongs within the rafters.
