Celtics’ Al Horford ‘overwhelmed’ by receiving highest Dominican honor

Nobody is beloved more in the Boston Celtics’ locker room than Al Horford. The veteran big man, who originally spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Atlanta Hawks, has made the city of Boston his home, and he has become a Celtics icon after embracing his role as the heart and soul of this organization. In doing so, Horford helped lift the Celtics to their 18th championship in team history this past season, his first NBA championship in his 17th season.

At 38 years old, Horford is now nearing the end of the line on what could be considered a Hall of Fame career. Championships oftentimes tend to define players, and Horford has a ring to his name, along with five All-Star appearances.

Whether Horford makes the Hall of Fame or not, he will always be immortalized in Celtics lore, as will he be in his home country of the Dominican Republic. The Celtics’ recent championship made Horford the first Dominican-born player to ever hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy into the air, which prompted his country to fully embrace him with the highest honor possible upon his arrival this week.

Al Horford honored in Dominican Republic

Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) celebrates with the Larry O’Brien Trophy after beating the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals to win the NBA Championship at TD Garden. Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

With the championship trophy in his arms on Thursday, Horford met with the country’s politicians, including Dominican Republic president Luis Abinader, who awarded him with the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez, and Mella in the degree of Knight, which is the country’s highest honor, according to CBS News.

Alongside his family and Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, Horford called this moment one of the best days of his life.

“I knew I was going to come meet the president, but I didn’t know I was gonna get the highest award for the country,” Horford stated. “So, very special for me, very special for my family. I feel very proud right now. Very overwhelmed with a lot of emotion. Very, very special day for me today.”

The 2023-24 NBA season was Horford’s sixth with the Celtics. However, this is his second stint with the team, as the veteran signed a $109 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019 before being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder one year into this deal. Boston then reacquired Horford due to his familiarity with the franchise, as well as due to his contributions at the center position.

This past season, Horford played in a total of 65 games for the Celtics, 33 of which he started. In said games, he averaged 8.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor and 41.9 percent from three-point range. The fact that Horford has fully embraced his role of doing whatever the Celtics need of him with however many minutes he gets in any given game speaks volumes to the culture he has helped build in Boston.

Sacrifice is needed in order for a team to win a championship, and Horford has sacrificed his proven All-Star potential and skill in order to help the Celtics win by any means necessary. Now, after securing his first and only championship, the goal remains the same for Horford heading into the 2024-25 season.

The Celtics are once again title favorites, and Horford will be looking to claim what could be his second and final championship with the team he adores at the end of his career.