Al Horford talked about his decision to join the Golden State Warriors and what he needed to do before making that decision.
One of the most notable signings this offseason came from the Bay Area, as the Golden State Warriors acquired Al Horford as their new center.
After Kevon Looney left in free agency, the Warriors realized they needed to sign a suitable replacement to give their new team the best chance of competing for an NBA championship.
And the Warriors acquired Al Horford after months of speculation. Many believe that acquiring Horford would be a big deal for the Warriors because he brings a championship pedigree to the team.
However, Horford’s decision to join the Warriors was based on his success with the Boston Celtics, and he would not have come to Golden State without them.
Al Horford, along with many other players, spoke to ESPN’s Anthony Slater about the process of putting together the current Warriors roster.
Horford admitted that he would not have joined the Warriors if the Boston Celtics had not won a championship in 2024.
The idea of losing to the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals and joining the Warriors years later without having any championship success of his own didn’t sit well with Horford as a competitor.
“Horford said this situation wouldn’t have subsided as much if the Celtics hadn’t bounced back and won a championship in 2024.
“I don’t believe that if Horford didn’t already have a title, knowing which franchise and player gave him the worst heartbreak, he wouldn’t have been able to join the Warriors this summer.
“‘I think it was too difficult for me as a competitor because of the way I did it,'” Horford said. “So I don’t think I could have done it.”
Al Horford’s comments about refusing to join a team that beat him on the way to a championship sound very familiar.
Of course, that was the main criticism Kevin Durant faced when he signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2016 — just months after he and the Thunder blew a 3-1 lead to the Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference Finals.
Many felt Durant’s addition to a team that had just gone 73-9 and advanced to back-to-back NBA Finals after blowing a 3-1 lead was weak and not conducive to competition.
Durant defends his decision to this day, saying he just wanted a change of pace. And of course, we know how the story went – Durant would go on to win back-to-back NBA titles and Finals MVP.
But Durant’s two title wins have an air of controversy because of the nature of his decisions.
Al Horford ensured he wouldn’t come under the same scrutiny by making sure he won on his own before coming to Golden State.