There is a reason why Jayson Tatum calls Al Horford his best teammate ever. “Al is for sure one of the best teammates I’ve ever had at any level. I think about being 19 and coming in my first year and him kind of taking me under his wing…” Two stints, one championship, and unforgettable memories, that’s what the veteran leaves behind. As he starts his new journey in the Golden State, the 39-year-old looked back at his time in Beantown with profound gratitude.

“It wasn’t an easy decision for me to leave Boston,” Horford told reporters Wednesday. “But if there was a place, it was this one and it happened. I happened to get this opportunity, so I jumped at it.” It was not just him, but the Celtics said goodbye to Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis as well during the offseason. An Achilles tear injury to Jayson Tatum put the team’s championship plans on hold. Instead, the team focused on being under the tax apron to avoid any punishment.

That’s why Boston fans have no ill feeling towards Al Hoford. In 7 years across two stints, the veteran center gave his blood, sweat, and tears to the franchise. During the 2024 championship season, his clutch performance was immense, too. It took him 186 playoff games to win the championship. Remembering the grit of the 39-year-old, the social media account added a small caption, “We’ll miss you, 4️⃣2️⃣.” #42 being the number he wore during his time in Beantown.

Even though the caption was short, the images in the carousel post spoke volumes. The first picture was him holding the Larry O’Brien championship trophy. The next few signified him as a leader- as he spent time with his teammates, Tatum, Hauser, among others. The last picture was from his first stint with owner Wycliff Grousbeck during a press conference back in 2016. Clearly adds to the lore of Al Horford being a great person off the court.

Despite being 37 at the time, Horford finished with 65 regular-season games. Plus, his impact in the playoffs was instrumental in helping the Celtics find their feet. In the second round, winning against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 5x All-Star scored 22 points with 15 rebounds and 5 assists in a close-out win. Similarly, in the ECF against the Pacers, the 6-foot-9 center added  23 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a Game 3 win. Warriors fans expect a similar level of output.

Al Horford is ready to dance with Stephen Curry

First, let’s also understand that the 39-year-old said he was never considering retirement during the offseason, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. He signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the Warriors on Sunday. With his addition, the Golden State became the first team to have 4 starters above the age of 35. Al Horford is 39, alongside Steph Curry (37), Jimmy Butler (36), and Draymond Green (35). Despite the age issue, the former Celtics star considered this a great opportunity.

“It’s a great opportunity to compete and to win at a high level,” Horford said. “When I think about the Warriors, I think about Steph, Draymond, and Steve Kerr. Seeing Jimmy Butler here and what he did in that second half of the season after the trade and how they’re playing, for me, if there was one place I was going to leave it was for this.” The addition of Butler helped the team to close out strong with a 23-7 season. And Horford is counting on that plus his experience could bring in the same result.

For years, the Warriors were looking for a natural rim protector, and Horford is the right fit. In fact, the Warriors HC said Al’s versatility “makes him hugely valuable right away“. Despite his age, he remains in great shape. The 39-year-old was a very durable center, having played in at least 60 games in 10 of his last 11 seasons. Plus, Horford has shot 40.9% from three over the last three seasons.