Boston loves Al Horford and he wants you to know the feeling is mutual

BOSTON – Half an hour before Al Horford’s scheduled performance on Boylston Street early Thursday afternoon, hundreds of fans lined up waiting for him. The 93-degree heat didn’t stop them from sharing their appreciation for the newly crowned champion, who won his first NBA title at the age of 38 on Monday night.

One day before the Boston Celtics parade through town, it was Horford’s taste of the chaos to come. The fans chanted his name as he arrived minutes after 1 p.m. When he left, shortly after briefly addressing the crowd outside a local chicken restaurant, he had to walk through a sea of ​​adoring Celtics fans gathered in the street. Some of them even surrounded the car he was driving and walked alongside the vehicle as it drove towards Exeter Street.

Horford could feel the love. He said it goes both ways.

“We play basketball for the Celtics and we understand that we represent a lot more: Boston, we represent the New England region,” Horford said. “And I’m just really proud to bring a championship to Boston. When I came here eight years ago, this was pretty much what I had in mind. And it’s been hard. It’s been hard work, and a lot of tough losses over the years. But to get to this point, I’m very grateful.”

Horford had more than tough losses with the Celtics. After a dysfunctional season for the team in 2018-19, he left the franchise as a free agent to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. He wasn’t a good fit there and eventually landed in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder were deep in a rebuilding project. They were so focused on the future that, even in the midst of a productive season for Horford, they agreed to sideline him after the All-Star break. By the time Boston re-acquired the big man in 2021, Horford’s value was in question.

A second stint with the Celtics provided a lifeline for him. Privately, he promised himself he would show he could still play.

Horford has done much more than that. With the Celtics’ 106-88 Game 5 victory on Monday, he surpassed Gary Payton’s previous record for most playoff games before a first title by winning his first ring in his 186th playoff game. Afterwards, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown said no one deserved the championship more than Horford. Jrue Holiday said winning a ring for Horford was “one of the ultimate goals of this season.”

Horford said he hasn’t thought much about the long journey to reach his first championship because he still tries to cherish the moment.

“I don’t know if I’ve been able to think about it that much,” Horford said. “I feel like we’re still really into the party, the confetti falling, everything that’s happened the last few days. I haven’t really had a chance to look at it from that perspective yet. I feel like we’re lost in looking at the pictures, watching videos, trying to take it all in with my family, sharing stories about the night and things like that. That’s kind of what we did.”

One of the videos Horford watched showed his 9-year-old son, Ean, celebrating with the Boston players as the final buzzer of Game 5 approached. Ean, who was often seen in the team locker room after games throughout the season, was old enough to appreciate his father’s playoff run.

The moment it happened🥹 pic.twitter.com/Lmdtek28Cz

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 18, 2024

“He’s so committed to the team,” Horford said. “He loves being Celtic. He just enjoys it immensely. And to see him so invested in it all season, so committed to it – my girls and my (four) daughters love it too, but he’s playing now, so he’s starting to understand it a little bit more. And for me, the most satisfying part of it is seeing him happy, but also seeing my teammates hugging him. I saw in the video that Derrick White went up to him, gave him a hug and was all emotional on him. They really care about him and I think that’s what’s special: that we can celebrate this not only with the boys, but also with our families. And our families are there, they are part of it. We sacrifice so much to be in these positions and it was just nice to see him enjoy this moment.”

Some Celtics players and coaches flew to Miami to celebrate, but Horford said he stayed home to spend time with his family and some of his closest friends. On Thursday afternoon, he said he had left his house only twice since returning there from Game 5.

“I’ve had some family members visit, my mom, dad, some of my really good friends, sisters, brother, and we’ve just been hanging out the last few days,” Horford said. “It was really nice to see the kids running around, just being at home and taking it all in. So it feels good to be here and just feel the love from everyone.”

The city showed some love for Horford on Thursday. He also expects a crazy atmosphere at the parade on Friday. Starting in 2008, when he helped the Hawks take Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce’s Celtics to seven first-round games, Horford said he was fascinated by the atmosphere surrounding Boston sports.

“I’ve been all over the country and I just haven’t seen the love and the care and the dedication that people have, not only for their sport, but for their community,” Horford said. “I feel like there’s a really tight-knit community here in Boston, something like that really does exist. And whether I’m getting gas or at the grocery store or whatever, people always say good things and always embrace me and my family. And it is everywhere in the mass. We talk about Boston, but we go apple picking with my kids, we go to the beach, we go to different places and the people are the same. They keep the same energy. People really love it here. And that’s what fascinated me: the sense of community here and the togetherness that we have here in Boston. And that is very special.”

(Photo: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)