Al Horford reflects on rejoining Celtics after a tough two-year run with Sixers, Thunder

Looking back at his tough position, Al Horford is nothing but happy to be back in Boston. 

With him being a Celtic again, the veteran big man is delighted for another chance in his second run down in Beantown.

“Honestly, I think, for me, I’m just appreciative. It’s more gratitude than anything,” Horford said, per Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer. “Just to have the opportunity to be in this position again, where I can show what I can do, how I can play, how I can impact the team. For me that’s the biggest thing. I’m very grateful for this opportunity being back here in Boston.”

After a three-year run from 2016 to 2019 with Boston, Horford opted to chase and seize a lucrative $97 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for four years. Since then, the direction of his career has become uncertain.

After a season with the Sixers, he was traded to the OKC Thunder that commenced their first year of official rebuild. With his role and timeline not blending well to the club, he sat out after playing just 28 games.

And in 2021, the Celtics took him back to their camp for a sweet reunion, as they eventually benefitted with each other again and reached the NBA Finals last year. After a fruitful 21-22 season, both sides have reached an extended commitment with a two-year, $20 million extension.

“I believe everything happens for a reason. For me, there was a lot of growth involved in those two years that I was gone, and those two seasons,” Horford added. “I have a clearer picture of what I am, where I want to be, what we’re trying to accomplish here. 

“That’s part of the reason why I wanted to sign that extension early on in the season. I just wanted to put rumors to rest because I knew that free agency was going to come and there was going to be questions. I just wanted to make sure the Celtics knew where I was standing and this was where I wanted to be.”