Al Horford finally opened up about his decision to leave the Boston Celtics this summer, and it was absolutely gutwrenching. The now Golden State Warriors center shared this thought process with The Athletic’s Nick Friedell, pinpointing the opportunity to win as a top priority.
“I think that where Boston was as a team, even though I called them my home and everything was there for me, they just weren’t in a position to offer me the opportunity that I wanted,” Horford told Friedell.
At this point, Horford probably only has one or two seasons left in the NBA. It makes sense that he made a move in an effort to make the most of them. Unfortunately, the Celtics were part of his plan until Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon.
“There was two things there,” Horford continued. “I think the financial part was a component, but more than that, it was the winning part of it, trying to contend for a championship. And I think there was a lot of things up in the air — and it just felt like they weren’t in the same, that same vision, obviously, because JT getting hurt, that takes a big toll. So I think at that point I really had to — up until then I was staying in Boston the whole time.”
This is, of course, the first time Horford has openly spoken about what went into his decision to leave the Celtics. But, his reasoning is something many in the media and in the Celtics community had speculated to be the case throughout the offseason.
As sad as it may be, it’s not super surprising.
Horford’s time in Boston was special
It also shouldn’t diminish what Horford meant to the franchise during his seven seasons with the Cs– though some fans are upset about his decision to join the “rival” Warriors.
He appeared in 465 regular-season games and 119 playoff games across his two stints in Boston. Horford served as a tremendous role model and mentor to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown when they were in their first few NBA seasons, and his contributions shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Horford made it clear that his time with the Celtics was special, even though he saw this opportunity with Golden State as the best move for himself.
“From the moment we arrived, you have welcomed my family and I with open arms,” he said in a thank you post to social media. “Raising banner 18 with this city will be a moment I will always cherish.”
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