BOSTON -- It took Al Horford 17 seasons in the NBA before the 38-year-old officially became a champion and (potentially) cemented his Hall of Fame case, but the long wait came rewarded on Monday night with the Celtics.
"I don't think it's sunk in yet," Horford said after Boston's 106-88 Game 5 victory over the Mavericks. "I'm going through the emotions right now, but I don't feel like it's over. This is an unbelievable feeling. Yeah, the confetti, everything is going on, but it just hasn't hit me yet."
Horford's undergone two stints with the Celtics during his last eight seasons played, experiencing the heartbreak of losing in the Eastern Conference finals three times plus a Finals loss in 2022. He's been an All-Star, played with the Isaiah Thomas-led underdog Celtics and most recently stepped up in place of an injured Kristaps Porzingis this postseason, draining a career-high seven 3-pointers in a stellar 23-point performance in Game 3 against the Pacers in the conference finals, hungry and determined once again.
Therefore, pulling for Horford, a five-time All-Star with now-186 games of playoff experience, was extremely easy for everyone in Boston's locker room.
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"Nobody deserved it more than Al," Jaylen Brown claimed. "He's been a great not just leader on the court but off the court as well. Just a mentor. Somebody I know I can talk to about life and is going to give me great advice about family, about finances, about just life, adversity, whatever the case is. Just Al has just been that guy for me and for us."
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Horford scored nine points on 3-of-6 shooting with nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals, which doesn't represent how active and engaged he was on both ends of the floor from the game's opening tip. Once it was time to trot across the finish line, Horford raised his arms in a Rocky Balboa triumph style, heading back to the bench with 2:02 left in the fourth quarter; left with nothing to do but wait for the final buzzer to sound.
It's a long-time moment several Celtics teammates had envisioned sharing with Horford for a while.
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"Once I became his teammate, it was like one of the ultimate goals of this season," Jrue Holiday said. "Knowing the type of person that Al is, knowing the leader that he is, even off the court, the father that he is, just the all-around great person and great human, I'd run through a brick wall for him. I'm so happy that he got one."
To not only win but do so in Boston was a full-circle moment for Horford. Back in 2008, the then-Hawks rookie center fresh out of Flordia, experienced a first-round postseason elimination at the hands of the then-Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett-led Celtics before that trio raised Banner 17.
Horford averaged 12.6 points, helping Atlanta take Boston to seven games. However, it wasn't enough, and it would take over a decade until he'd return to the same building to finally experience that championship fulfillment.
"We've had a lot of hardships the last few years," Horford admitted. "Last year, heartbreaker against Miami, Game 7. Year before, Golden State. It's been building up. But this team has been resilient, and we've continued to work."
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Featured image via Peter Casey/USA TODAY Sports Images
