In a pre‑game interview before facing his former team, the Boston Celtics, Al Horford shares his excitement about returning to the arena and seeing familiar faces, from players and coaches to staff. He credits the Celtics' recent success to head coach Joe Mazzulla, the coaching staff, and the resilience of veterans like Al‑Nassr "Nimi" and the roster’s ability to win despite injuries. Horford comments on the development of younger Celtics such as Jaylen Brown, D. White, and Peyton, noting their confidence and willingness to shoulder responsibility. He reflects on reuniting with former teammate Kristaps Porzingis, describing their chemistry as effortless after two years apart. Horford praises Jason Tatum’s remarkable recovery from a serious injury, highlighting Tatum’s mental toughness and the medical staff’s work. Finally, he explains that his move to the Golden State Warriors was motivated by factors "deeper than basketball," while keeping the possibility of retiring with the Celtics open, emphasizing his focus on finishing the current season strong.
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So what are you thinking as you play your former team here tonight and, you know, some of the emotions that go through you?
Yeah, just excited, you know, just really excited to see, you know, everybody, you know, players, coaches, all the staff, security guys, everybody.
I know you've talked a lot about their success this year that they've had. You've attributed a lot of it to Nimi. Is there anything you remember that, you know, conversations you had with him, you know, just him watching you and Chris Stephs and those other guys that allowed him to have the success he's having this season?
I mean, I think it's a credit just to him in general and the coaching staff preparing him. I mean, I'm sure that, you know, he observed a lot and he's just taking advantage of the opportunity. You know, I think that for me when I was there, my biggest thing was always just trying to encourage him And, but it's gotta give him all the credit for everything that he's doing and how he has taken, you know, what it means to be in that position. Obviously they lost a lot over the offseason, including you. What about Joe? What about the guys who stayed has allowed them to kind of overcome that and still succeed? Yeah, I mean, if you think about even last year, we had a lot of guys down throughout the year and we were playing a lot of the times missing a lot of players and we were still winning a lot of games. So, I feel like that was a blueprint right there. And this year I just think that, you know, guys are comfortable playing in that situation. And, you know, it's— the biggest thing is that everybody's bought into what Joe is telling them. And he's just running a really good program over there, him and all those assistant coaches. They're really doing a good job getting the guys ready, getting them to commit and play at a high level. And that's why I feel like it's so smooth. But I think if you look at last year, there was a lot of times that KP was out, that Jrue was out, that different guys were out and we were still getting results. So that's why it's not surprising of their success.
What have you seen from Jaylen? Does he shoulder more responsibility this season?
I just seen him, you know, really wanting to embrace this from afar. I haven't watched enough, but from what I can tell is that he seems, willing to embrace that, the responsibility, the pressure, the burden that comes with being that top option for the team. And he's just playing with a lot of confidence and getting to his spots where he wants to get to and just making winning plays kind of all over the place. So I just think that not only him, but D. White and Peyton, it's the same thing. They're just very assertive and they know what they need to do and they're getting it done.
What's it like for you now to be teaming with Kristaps again?
It's awesome. It's awesome to have, you know, to be here with KP. You know, we're both looking at each other. We're like, we would've never expected us to be on a team together again, but it's good to be here with him. And you know, that chemistry that we built over the past 2 years, you know, it just makes everything, you know, it makes everything click for us much easier now that we're here.
Al, Joe mentioned that you're like obviously a pretty even-keeled guy, but you get super competitive on the court. You mentioned how excited you are to see everybody. Is there any extra juice or competitive spirit like getting to play guys that you did get to be so close with over the years? Like, is there any extra excitement getting to like go up against these guys?
Yeah. I mean, honestly, it's just, I was just out there with a lot of the coaching staff and the trainers. It was just more exciting to see everybody, you know. Once the game starts, we'll go out there, I'll do what I need to do, we'll play. They're gonna compete, I'm gonna compete, and that's that. I think the relationships and the bonds that we've built there over the past few years are things that go beyond the court. You know, it's a great thing because basketball has allowed us to all be together, but, and I end up having, you know, much more than just basketball.
When the night Jason was hurt, you seemed to like take it as hard as anyone that night. What have you thought about his kind of work to get back? Looks, you know, he practiced last week with Maine. There's a real chance he'll play this year. What do you thought kind of dedication and how much you'd be able to communicate with him during this process?
Man, just, just so impressed with him because from everything that I've heard from that type of injury, it's just extremely difficult. And, and his, his mental strength is really showing there because his ability to be at this point already that he's practicing and everybody's talking about that he's possibly going to play. And even if he doesn't play, just the fact that how much progress he has made and the way that he has come is very impressive. He, you know, he's the type of guy that, you know, he refused to sit. He always wanted to play and he always wants to compete. So I just been, you know, so impressed in such a tough injury that the medical group over there, I know Nick Sang and, And all the medical staff over there, Phil Coles, they've been doing a really good job with him because, you know, I don't think anybody expected that he was going to be, you know, at this level so quickly. So I'm very, very proud of him. Very proud to see that.
Yeah, we haven't talked to you—
Last one, and he's got to get ready to roll.
We haven't talked to you since you left. What went into the decision to join the Warriors ultimately? And, you know, do you see yourself ultimately retiring with the Celtics if it comes down to that?
Yeah, I mean, I, you know, I kind of talked about that a little bit earlier, but for me, you know, the decision was, has something, you know, it's something that's deeper than just the basketball, you know, stuff of it. And it's something that at some point I'll share, you know, with people. But for me, it felt like it was the time for me to go elsewhere. And And then as far as the end of my career, I don't know. I mean, you know, I always keep that open. It would definitely be a privilege, you know, to do that, but I'm just obviously just trying to focus on finishing out this year.
