Al Horford

At 38 years old, Al Horford has this physical status:

Al Joel Horford Reynoso (born June 3, 1986) is a Dominican professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers.

He played college basketball for the University of Florida and was the starting center on the Gators' teams that won back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2006 and 2007.

He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks as the third overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, a team with nine seasons before joining the Celtics in 2016.

He is a five-time NBA All-Star.

He also represents the Dominican Republic national team.

Personal life

Tito Horford's father, Tito Horford, played basketball for a long time. Tito, a Bahamian immigrant, was recruited by Marian Christian High School in Houston and spent time in Louisiana and Miami before being selected in the second round of the 1988 NBA draft. He spent three years in the NBA and many others overseas. Kelly Horford's uncle, Kelly Horford, attended Florida Atlantic University in the early 1990s, while his brother, Jon Horford, played in Michigan and Florida. He also has two sisters and three younger brothers.

In Santo Domingo, Horford married 2003 Miss Universe Amelia Vega. Horford and Vega have four children together as of July 2022 and are expecting their fifth child.

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Early years and high school career

Horford was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Tito Horford, his father, played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for three years and in several other nations. Horford and his family immigrated to Lansing, Michigan, where he attended Grand Ledge High School in Grand Ledge, Michigan, where he was a member of the Lansing basketball team. Horford holds seven school records, including the most career points (1,239). After scoring 21 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks per game, he was named "Class A Player of the Year" as a senior. Horford played AAU basketball for the Michigan Mustangs, who were runners-up in the Adidas Big Time National Tournament, while at Grand Ledge. Horford was ranked as the No. 1 in a four-star search by Rivals.com. The No. 7 power forward and the No. 1 were the No. In 2004, the country's 36 players made the nation's top player.

College career

Horford accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida, choosing the Gators over Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Billy Donovan was a student at the University of On the radio, he worked with Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, and Taubean Green. He made a major difference for the Gators in 2004–05, beginning with David Lee in the front court and helping the Gators win the 2005 Southeastern Conference tournament championship.

For the second year in a row, the Gators surged through the 2005–06 season, winning the SEC championship for the second year in a row. The No. 2 ranked No. 1 in the NCAA tournament for 2006 appeared in No. Seed vs. 3 seed. The Gators advanced to the Final Four after surviving in the first four rounds. There, they beat George Mason to advance to the final. They defeated UCLA in the 2006 championship, despite Horford's 14 points and seven rebounds.

Horford missed a string of games due to injury in December 2006, midway through his junior year. Coach Donovan kept him out of a game against Stetson in the hopes of ensuring he would be properly recovered for a game against the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on December 23. Donovan revealed that Horford would not be able to participate one day before the game, but Horford's guard Greg Oden, a highly regarded 7'0" freshman, began the game from the bench to guard Ohio State player Greg Oden. Oden finished on seven points, much below his season average of 15. In limited action, Horford scored 11 points and added 11 rebounds as the Gators defeated the Buckeyes. Horford was the fourth player on his team to score 1,000 career points against Kentucky on March 4, 2007. To reach the record, he needed 14 points during the game, and he scored exactly 14.

The Gators became the first national champions since the 1991-92 Duke Blue Devils, and the first team to do so with the same starting lineup on April 2, 2007. They defeated Oden and Ohio State in a rematch from the regular season, 84-75. Horford, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, and Taubean Green have all been drafted for the NBA draft three days later.

Professional basketball career

Horford was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the third overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft on June 28, 2007. He began his rookie scale with the Hawks on July 9, making his debut with the Hawks. Horford was the only player unanimously selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team as a rookie in 2007–08; he was also a runner-up for Rookie of the Year accolades and was named Rookie of the Month on four occasions. In 1991–92, he was the first Atlanta draftee to receive first team awards since Stacey Augmon. In 81 games (77 starts), Horford averaged 10.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 blocks, 0.6 steals, and 31.4 minutes. The Hawks earned a 37–45 record in the regular season and advanced to the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Horford helped the Hawks advance to seven games in their first round match-up with the Boston Celtics, losing the series 4–3. Horford averaged 12.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in the series.

Horford played in all 67 games from 2008 to 2009, scoring 11.5 points, 9.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 33.5 minutes. The Hawks qualified as the fourth seed in the East with a 47-35 record. Horford helped the Hawks advance to the second round, where they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers; Horford missed Game 2 of the season due to injury.

Horford had a fruitful season in 2009–10, becoming the first Hawks draft pick to earn an All-Star berth since Kevin Willis did so in 1992. Horford had 14.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.7 steals in 35.1 minutes (.551 FG%,.789 FT%), playing in 81 games. He came eighth in the NBA in field goal percentage, 10th in rebounds, tied for ninth in offensive rebounds (2.9), and 26th in blocks. He had a team-leading 39 double-doubles, finishing eighth in the NBA for 11th position. The Hawks were the third seed in the East, playing alongside Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Marvin Williams. However, the team failed to make it to the second round for the second year in a row, this time by the Orlando Magic.

Horford's five-year, $60 million contract extension was agreed upon by November 1, 2010.

Horford was an All-Star for the second year in a row, and he was also a member of the Atlanta team that captured the Shooting Stars Competition in 2011. He averaged 15.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 77 games from 2010-2011 (.557 FG%,.798 FT%). He came in fifth in block percentage and 16th in efficiency (22.5). He was also one of the best all-around rebounders in the league, finishing 11th in rebounds, seventh in defensive rebounds (7.0), and tied for 24th in offensive rebounds (2.4). He had 36 double-doubles (tied for ninth in NBA), as well as one 20/20 game. He was selected Third-Team All-NBA. The Hawks qualified as the fifth seed in the East on Thursday with a 44-38 record. They made it to the second round of the Chicago Bulls, this time losing 4–2 to the Chicago Bulls.

The 2011–12 season did not begin until December 25, 2011, owing to the 2011 NBA lockout. Horford appeared in the Hawks' first 11 games of the season before suffering a torn left pectoral muscle injury against the Indiana Pacers on January 11, 2012. He underwent surgery to repair the muscle and was sentenced out for three to four months on January 17. The Hawks qualified as the fifth seed in the East with a 40–26 record. Horford missed three more playoff games before returning to action in Game 4 of the Boston Celtics' first round match. He ended the game, a series in which the Hawks lost 4–2.

Horford played in all 74 games from 2012 to 2013, scoring a career-high 17.4 points, 3.2 assists, 1.1 blocks, and a career-high 1.1 steals in 37.2 minutes. He had 43 double-doubles (20 20-point/10-rebound games), one in points and assists, with one in points and assists. For the first time in his career, he scored 20-plus points in nine games (February 11 – March 3) for the first time in his career. For the first time in his career, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on November 26, 2012. In a 102–91 victory over the Utah Jazz on February 27, 2013, he scored a career-high 34 points in a 102–91 triumph. The Hawks earned their sixth seed in the East with a 44-38 record. The Hawks lost 4–2 in their first round match against the Indiana Pacers, despite Horford's record of a playoff career-high 16.7 points per game over the six games.

Horford recorded nine double-doubles and scored in double-figures 28 times over the first 29 games of the 2013–14 season, including 13 20-point outings and one 30-point game. He scored a career-best 18.6 points per game over this stretch. However, another shoulder injury, which left him sidelined for the remainder of the season, did not return to him on December 26, 2013. The injury was initially thought to be a complete tear of his right pectoral muscle, requiring season-ending surgery. He did not participate in the postseason, where the Hawks lost in the first round to the Indiana Pacers.

Horford played in 76 regular season games in 2014-15, the most since the 2010–11 season. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, December 15, 2014, through December 21. For the second time in his career, he received the award for the second time in his career. In a 105-87 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, he scored 21 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists for his first career triple-double. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Monday's, January 12-to-date on Sunday, January 18; six days later, January 18. He earned his third All-Star nod as a reserve for the Eastern Conference in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game on January 29, which was his third All-Star nod. Horford led in double digits in 28 consecutive games from December 7 to January 31 in a remarkable stretch of play. The Hawks went 28–2 and had a franchise-best 19 game winning streak between December and January. The Hawks reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 1960s, behind Horford and his fellow All-Star teammates Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, and Jeff Teague. In four games, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated them.

Horford appeared in all 82 regular season games from 2015 to 2016, for the first time in his career. In a 106-98 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, he scored 26 points and made a career-high four three-pointers. He scored 16 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 4, extending his streak of double-digit games to 22 in a career high. His streak came to an end at 23 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Hawks' 24th game of the season on December 10. Horford was named on February 12, 2016 to replace the injured Chris Bosh on the 2016 Eastern Conference All-Star team, thus his fourth All-Star selection. In an 87-76 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, he achieved his 200th career double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds. The Hawks qualified as the fourth seed in the East with a 48–34 record. They advanced to the second round of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second year in a row.

Horford became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2016. The Hawks were hoping to land a new one with Horford, but the team had to pay a significant amount to pick up Dwight Howard, so it would have taken a max bid to land Horford. Horford signed a four-year, $113 million contract with the Boston Celtics on July 8, and said he was looking forward to working with Celtics head coach Brad Stevens and the rest of the team to return a championship trophy back to Boston. In a 122-117 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, he made his Celtics debut in their season opener on October 26, 2016. He scored 11 points in a 122–117 victory. He appeared in the team's first three games of the season but then missed nine straight games due to a concussion. In a 94-92 victory over the Detroit Pistons, he returned to action on November 19 and had 18 points and 11 rebounds. In a 105–99 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on March 19, 2017, he scored a season-high 27 points. Horford nearly had a triple-double in Game 1 of the Celtics' second-round playoff series against the Washington Wizards, with 21 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists. The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated 4–1 by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Horford returned from a two-game absence with a concussion and 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting to help the Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors 95–94 for their 12th straight victory. In a 116–111 victory over the Phoenix Suns on December 2, he had 14 points and a career-best 11 assists. In a 111–100 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, he scored 20 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. He made a 15-foot fadeaway jumper at the buzzer on February 4, 2018, boosting the Celtics to a 97-96 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Horford had 24 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1 of the Celtics' first-round playoff series against the Bucks. Horford won by 112–96 over the Bucks in Game 7, with 26 points and eight rebounds. The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated in seven games by the Cavaliers.

Horford lost 113-101 to the Raptors on October 19, 2018, with 14 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists. With a sore left knee in December, he missed seven games. In a 112-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on December 29, he scored 18 points with a career high-tying five 3-pointers. In a 98–97 loss to the Bucks, he scored 21 points and a season-high 17 rebounds on February 21, 2019. In a 110–105 victory over the Miami Heat, he scored 19 points, 11 rebounds, and ten assists in his second double-double in his career.

Horford joined the Philadelphia 76ers on July 10, 2019. Horford, an unrestricted free agent, has signed a four-year, $97 million (with $12 million in bonuses). In a 114-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns on November 4, Horford scored a season-high 32 points.

Horford was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 8, 2020. Billy Donovan, the Thunder's former college coach, had been fired three months after he arrived. The Thunder's Moses Brown, Isaiah Roby, and Tony Bradley all announced on March 27, 2021, that he would miss the remainder of the season as the team prioritized learning its younger players, including Moses Brown, Isaiah Roby, and Tony Bradley.

Horford, along with Moses Brown, and a 2023 second round draft pick from the Thunder in exchange for guard Kemba Walker, the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, and a 2025 second round draft pick, Horford was traded to Boston on June 18, 2021. Horford led the Celtics to victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on March 3, 2022, with a season-high 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Horford lost 103-101 against the Milwaukee Bucks on May 7, 2022, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Horford won by 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field, as well as a career-high 5-of-7 shooting from three in a 116–108 victory to tie the series at 2–2.

Horford advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in his 15-year career on May 29, 2022, defeating the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, 100–96. With 141, he set a record for the most playoff games without a Finals appearance before doing so. He was also the first Dominican to reach the NBA Finals. Horford led the Celtics to a 120–108 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the Finals. He made six 3-pointers during the game, setting a record for the most three points made by a player in his NBA debut. In Game 6, the Celtics took a 2–1 series lead but they lost in six games, despite Horford's 19-point, 14-rebound outing in Game 6's 103–90 close loss.

National team career

Horford has been a member of the Dominican Republic national basketball team since 2008. He won a bronze medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in 2011 and received All-Tournament Team awards.

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