Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Explains Why Al Horford Is ‘Best Teammate Ever’

Jayson Tatum and Al Horford are in their third season as teammates, and the Boston big man has made a strong impression on the young Celtics star.

Horford, a 15-year NBA veteran, was the catalyst of Boston’s comeback win against the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals. The 36-year-old is one of the leaders of a young team and has become a major contributor in the NBA playoffs.

“Al is like the best teammate ever,” Tatum told reporters Saturday. “The ultimate professional. Obviously, at 35, just how he’s performing, that’s the testament to how he takes care of his body, how he prepares every day.

“Al is the same guy that he was today that he was my rookie year, just welcoming everybody, doing whatever is best for the team, sacrificing touches for himself or whatever. Al wants to win. Just to see how happy he was to get to this point — I felt like I had been playing forever finally getting over that hump. I’ve only been doing this for five years. It’s his 15th year, so I can only imagine what he was feeling getting to this moment.”

Jaylen Brown and the Celtics were proud of Horford for finally reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in his career. Brown was asked what it means for Horford to still perform at a high level at 36 years old.

“Al’s been waiting for this moment,” Brown said to the media. “He deserves this moment. He’s earned this moment. He’s paid his dues. He’s been on winning organizations, winning teams. He has to win it every time he steps out on the floor, plays both sides of the ball. He’s a team guy, can’t give enough praise for a guy like Al Horford.

“We’re gonna lean on him to have some more big performances in the next coming games, but if you’re asking me if I’m proud of what I’ve seen throughout the journey that I’ve been with Al Horford, I am, and I’m even more so excited to see what’s to come over these next few games. I’m excited for our entire group, but Al’s a key, key ingredient.”

Horford and the Celtics will hope to repeat their historic performance in Game 2 on Sunday and take a 2-0 series lead over the Warriors.