2024 NBA Champion Center Signs Deal with the Warriors
This past season, the Boston Celtics looked like they had the potential to run it back and go on another NBA Finals run. However, once Celtics star Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles, Boston could not overcome the New York Knicks, losing in six games during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Even at 39 years of age, Celtics center Al Horford has been a pivotal piece in the team’s success over the past several seasons. Since rejoining the team during the 2021-2022 NBA season, Horford has been huge, helping Boston get to the NBA Finals in 2022 and eventually winning it all in 2024. Now a free agent, it’s been reported by Shams Charania that the 2024 NBA champion center has signed a multiyear deal with the Golden State Warriors.
Horford started his career with the Atlanta Hawks, being drafted with the third overall pick during the 2007 NBA Draft. Atlanta made the playoffs every year during the 2024 NBA champions’ time with the team. Yet, they only found minimal success until the 2014-2015 NBA season, where they won 60 games, clinched the first seed in the Eastern Conference, and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before being swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers. During the 2016 off-season, the Dominican center signed a four-year deal with the Boston Celtics. He played three seasons in Boston before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 39-year-old center played in Philly for one season, then was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. After one season with the Thunder, he was traded once again, this time back to Boston. Since then, he’s appeared in two NBA Finals, winning a championship, while being a key piece on both offense and defense, surrounded by two high-quality players in Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The 2024 NBA champion center played in 60 games this past season. He averaged about nine points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block a game. Horford started in nine of the Celtics' 11 playoff games as Kristaps Porziņģis was dealing with an ankle injury. With the Warriors, Horford hopes to deliver quality minutes as his career starts to hit the twilight years.
