Al Horford doesn’t leave good situations.
Horford is a sort of canary in the coal mine for the Celtics. His first departure from the Celtics was centered around the Kyrie Irving mess after a year of Irving dividing the locker room with his young guy versus veteran talk. Horford saw Terry Rozier seething at Gordon Hayward’s playing time and then going on an anti-Celtics TV-blitz before the sweat evaporated from his uniform.
Even if Horford’s mind wasn’t completely made up heading into their playoff series against Milwaukee in 2019, he was probably muttering ‘get me the hell out of here’ by the 10th Irving switch onto Giannis Antetokounmpo.
When the 76ers came calling that summer, he willingly jumped ship. Like Roger Murtaugh, Horford was too old for this stuff then, and he certainly is now. Horford admitted that he might have stayed in Boston if he knew Danny Ainge was going to make the quick pivot to Kemba Walker that summer, which tells you all you need to know about how Horford makes his decisions.
He’s a basketball horticulturalist, so he’ll only put roots down in ideal conditions.
Now he’s all but gone. Brad Stevens has been referring to Horford in the past tense in interviews, and now every roster spot is filled. A new report suggests Horford has a verbal agreement with the Golden State Warriors to sign whenever they figure out their Jonathan Kuminga situation.
One can argue that the Warriors aren’t exactly the strongest contenders in the world, but that hardly matters. They're in a better position than Boston right now, even with being in the Western Conference. Horford can feel like a missing piece and his son can get some valuable NBA lessons as he experiences another locker room. And in the end, it’s Horford’s life so he can do what he pleases.
He helped Boston win a championship, he’s established his legacy here and in the league, and at 39 years old, he has earned the right to finish his career however he wants. He has something left in the tank, so why not run it dry?
This is where you might say “just retire, Al.” And that would be a reasonable thing to say until you realize the fountain of youth is real and it exists in every professional sports locker room. The hard work, sore knees, and longer recovery time are worth it to live in a world where boys can be boys behind closed doors. Who would want to be an adult with responsibilities 24 hours a day when you can spend a few hours in an insulating time warp?
Winning is part of the fun, though, which makes Horford’s decision all the more sobering.
By now, I think many of us have accepted the Celtics’ lot in NBA life. Terms like “soft tank” have been thrown around to describe the temporary slide into mediocrity while the team maneuvers the apron situation and waits for Jayson Tatum to recover. Stevens is rummaging through clearance bins to find useful players in his price range. The Celtics will still win some games because they still have good players in enough spots to avoid a full gap year, but the Celtics will struggle to be anything more than a middle-of-the-pack team.
If anyone is still in denial about what this season will be, Horford’s decision should wipe that away. Horford has always been a true professional, but part of that attitude involves the emotionless decision to do what’s best for himself. And while that might sound like a knock, it’s actually a compliment. He is the player version of Stevens as President of Basketball Operations.
Just like Stevens has evaluated his players and determined what limits the team has on paying them, so too has Horford evaluated himself. He values his services and is aware of what he is worth on the free market. And even though life decisions can weigh on that valuation, Horford knows what he’s willing to do and where he’s willing to go. If that doesn’t match his current situation, then both sides move on with a handshake and a nod; just a couple of professionals making professional decisions.
Horford has evaluated the situation in Boston and decided it is just not for him. When Horford makes a call like that, then we know the situation he’s leaving is less than ideal. Maybe the Celtics will fight for a playoff spot, and maybe they’ll surprise us with a little success, but chances are this upcoming season will be a hard fall from grace. For a player who is on the edge of retirement, a season like what Boston will face is too much for him to take.
He’s just too old for this.