When Al Horford was 14 years previous, he left his dwelling nation of the Dominican Republican to pursue a basketball profession in the US. Nearly 25 years later, the longtime Celtic returned because the highest-paid Latin American basketball participant of all time, and — most significantly — the nation’s first-ever NBA champion.
Accompanied by his spouse, Amelia Vega, and 4 children, Horford made the journey again to the nation the place he was born with the Larry O’Brien championship trophy in hand. Becoming a member of the the Horford household, Joe Mazzulla and Celtics assistant coach Tony Dobbins additionally boarded on the JetBlue Celtics plane, the Fortunate Blue.
Joe Mazzulla and Al Horford on the flight to the Dominican Republic, the place Horford is celebrating being the first-ever NBA champion from the DR
( Amelia Vega) pic.twitter.com/E1M5UDjwZX
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) September 10, 2024
The journey is only a week faraway from Mazzulla showcasing the trophy for his personal hometown neighborhood in Rhode Island.
It’s technically only a four-hour flight from Boston Logan Airport to the Dominican Republic. However, in all actuality, it took Horford a long time to get to this second. He accrued extra playoff wins (185) than any energetic NBA participant with out an NBA championship, and made the postseason 14 instances earlier than it culminated within the final prize.
So, when he bought it accomplished and the mud had settled, he couldn’t cease smiling.
“Individuals are blissful — this has by no means been accomplished earlier than,” Horford advised media within the Dominican Republic.
“I left right here 24 years in the past, it’s loopy. To have the ability to come again right here with the trophy in hand, it’s one thing that’s particular for me and for my household.”
When the Celtics received the 2024 NBA championship, historical past was made in numerous nations. Kristaps Porzingis grew to become the first-ever NBA participant from Latvia to win a championship, Neemias Queta grew to become the primary from Portugal, and Horford from the DR.
“It was essential for me to journey to the Dominican Republic to have fun this victory with household, associates and family members in my homeland; this victory can also be my nation’s,” Horford mentioned, per the Celtics.
Al’s mom, sports activities journalist Arelis Reynoso, shared a photograph of her son arriving with the trophy in hand.
As a young person, Al Horford relocated to Michigan, the place his father, Tito, had settled after knowledgeable basketball profession that included three years within the NBA. Instantly, it was clear he picked up the sport. As his profession progressed, so did his acclaim in his dwelling nation.
“The second he steps within the airport, folks start to crowd him,” Tito Horford advised Time Journal in 2017. “On the road, individuals are yelling, you see paparazzi. Baseball’s all the time No. 1 within the Dominican Republic, however folks looooove the NBA. They bought the packages, they watch the video games, and he’s the primary one they watch.”
It doesn’t seem that’s modified over the previous seven years. Al Horford hosted a basketball camp flooded with children in La Romana, and was accompanied by his championship-winning head coach.
In lower than two weeks, Celtics coaching camp will resume, and the championship celebrations will lastly come to an finish. For now, the Larry O’Brien trophy had yet one more cease.
Horford introduced the trophy to the Nationwide Tempo and obtained one of many nation’s highest honors from President Luis Abinader: the Order of Benefit of Duarte, Sanchez, and Mella.
“I knew I used to be going to come back meet the president, however I didn’t know I used to be gonna get the very best award for the nation. Very particular for me, very particular for my household. Really feel very proud proper now. Very overwhelmed with plenty of emotion. Very, very big day for me at this time.”
