Nearly five months after leaving the Boston Celtics in free agency, Al Horford is looking forward to facing his old team on Thursday night.
Horford's Golden State Warriors will host the Celtics at the Chase Center tonight in the first game since the All-Star Break for both teams. Boston is kicking off a four-game road trip.
Horford, 39, signed a two-year deal with the Warriors on Oct. 1. After watching the Celtics blow up their championship core over the summer, he believed joining Golden State gave him a better chance to win a title.
That turned out to be a major miscalculation. Boston has the third-best record in the NBA at 35-19, while the Warriors are only three games over .500 and may miss the playoffs.
Regardless, Horford is still excited to reunite with his former teammates, several of whom helped him win his first NBA championship in 2024. This will be his first time facing them and seeing many of them since he left.
Al Horford talked about what it’ll be like to face his old Boston Celtics tomorrow tonight:
“It’s a lot of excitement. My son Ian's been raving about, seeing a lot of the guys and seeing a lot of the coaches.”
Emphasized he’s not surprised about their success this season. pic.twitter.com/LjdZPwIjmK
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) February 19, 2026
"I get to see a lot of people that I care about," Horford told the media on Wednesday. "It's very special for me. It’s a lot of excitement. My son Ian's been raving about seeing a lot of the guys and seeing a lot of the coaches. It'll be cool to see everyone."
Horford also said he's not surprised by the Celtics' unexpected success this season.
"No, because of Joe and the culture that has been established in Boston," Horford said. "Probably the most surprising part has been the growth of Neemi and Jordan Walsh. They have really taken huge steps in their development and how they're playing and how they're impacting winning."
Moving on from Horford and other veterans has opened up more playing time and opportunities for guys like Walsh and Queta, allowing them to thrive and prove themselves.
Meanwhile, Horford's performance has taken a step back this year, although it will be interesting to see how he performs against his old team tonight.
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