Boston Celtics forward Al Horford, who waited 17 seasons without winning a title, shared a special moment with Celtics fans after checking out of the game in the fourth quarter moments before his team won the NBA Finals over the Dallas Mavericks.
Monday night was special for Al Horford and the Boston Celtics, who, with a 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks, secured theirDrafted into the league back in 2007, Horford, 38, had played 17 NBA regular seasons and more playoff games in league history than any other player without winning a title before the TD Garden game clock struck zero on Monday night.
In other words, an NBA title was a long time coming for the University of Florida product, who shared a special moment with Celtics fans after he checked out of the game with 2:02 remaining in the fourth quarter, and an NBA Finals win imminent.As Celtics public address announcer Eddie Palladino excitedly yelled Horford's name into the microphone, the veteran forward raised his arms in front of the TD Garden crowd, which rose to its feet and gave him a standing ovation.
ESPN's Mike Breen put a bow on the moment with a perfect call, saying that Horford has "waited 17 years for his NBA championship.""Nobody deserved it more than Al," Brown said. "He's been a great not just leader on the court but off the court as well. ... It's been an honor to be by his side. And Al Horford is a real-life legend and hero. It's been great to be his teammate.
As for Horford? He was simply grateful that his long-awaited NBA title happened while he was with the Celtics. "Man, I'll never forget what Danny Ainge told me in that meeting," Horford said. "He said, 'You can win championships in many places, but there's nothing like winning in Boston. Nothing like winning as a Celtic.'"Tim Capurso is a Staff Writer on the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated. Previously he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, College Football and NFL coverage.
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