When Al Horford signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, many assumed it came on the heels of Kyrie Irving’s departure. But it appears that’s not the case.
In a conversation with the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett, Horford noted what impact Irving’s return would have had on his decision and the Boston Celtics’ 2019-20 outlook.
“I’m not sure that has anything to do with it for me,” Horford told Bulpett. “I just think that if Kyrie would have stayed, I don’t know if it would have worked. There would have had to be some major changes as far as players, because it was just clear that the group that we had just wasn’t going to be able to coexist.”
Horford added last year’s group had a tremendous amount of talent and wanted to accomplish big things together, but it simply wasn’t going to work. Inconsistency was the name of the game for the 2018-19 Celtics, which continuously obstructed them from their goals.
As for why Horford left for Philadelphia of all places, the veteran emphasized to Bulpett that he chose the Sixers because he’s “looking for that championship.” It’s hard to deny Philly as the Eastern Conference favorites. With Horford, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson, the Sixers are fully expecting to represent the East in the 2020 NBA Finals.
Their quest for the Larry O’Brien Trophy begins on Oct. 23 when they welcome the Celtics to Wells Fargo Center.
