Al Horford proved to be the difference-maker for the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, as Boston overcame the Golden State Warriors and stole a road win. Horford’s 26 points on electric three-point shooting led the Celtics in scoring as he had an incredible Finals debut after ending the longest streak of playoff games with a Finals appearance.
Horford is one of the oldest players in the league, as the 36-year-old has found a way to become invaluable to Boston this season. He was getting benched while healthy on the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder last season, but Horford has proven he has a few more years left in the NBA.
His ability to stretch the floor as a center is crucial in making him an attractive option for teams despite his age. However, Horford wasn’t always a shooter and decided to start working on his threes after advice from Rick Sund, former General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks.
“Coming into the league, I never imagined shooting the 3-ball. I definitely was on edge at times when I began attempting threes in games.”
The Celtics big man spoke with @ChrisBHaynes on how he has embraced 3-point shooting for career longevity.
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— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 5, 2022
“Rick is the one that told me, ‘Man, you have a really good mid-range. You should start shooting corner threes, that’s going to help extend your career,’” the Celtics big man told Yahoo Sports as he was leaving Chase Center after practice Saturday. “I used to be a banger down low and posting up. He was like, ‘Man, you’re not going to last in this league if you keep playing like that.’ Rick Sund was the first to tell me.” (h/t Yahoo Sports)
Horford made an extremely wise decision by becoming a prolific shooter, giving the Celtics additional offensive versatility by having him on the team and on the floor.
If Horford can continue developing into a better three-point shooter in his late-forties, the decision to retire may be completely left up to him as teams in the league can always find room for a veteran shooting big-man like Horford.
