Al Horford has had quite an NBA career.
Now in his 19th season, the 39-year-old big man has accomplished a lot. He's made five NBA All-Star teams and won an NBA championship. He's also racked up some impressive counting stats, notching nearly 15,000 points and over 9,000 rebounds in nearly 1,200 regular-season games.
It's an impressive resume for Horford, who was one of the best centers of the 2010s. However, is it a Hall-of-Fame caliber one?
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who coached Horford for three seasons and won a title with him, believes it is.
After beating Horford and his Golden State Warriors on Thursday, Mazzulla said Horford is a Hall-of-Fame player during his postgame press conference.
Joe Mazzulla said that Al Horford is a Hall-of-Fame player to him
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) February 20, 2026
Mazzulla's a bit biased of course, and he didn't even get to coach Horford in his prime. Still, it's telling that he thinks so highly of him, even after Horford abandoned the Celtics in free agency last offseason.
Does Horford belong in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame? He has a case, but it's borderline and certainly debatable.
Horford's longevity is impressive, but his peak wasn't overly impressive. He wasn't statistically dominant, never averaging 20 points per game and averaging double-digit rebounds only once. He never received an MVP vote or was viewed as one of the very best players in the game. He was a star, but not a superstar.
That said, he did everything well. He was a great passer, a strong defender, a good scorer and a capable shooter. He was also an exemplary, selfless teammate who made everyone better and led by example.
Will Horford make it? Mazzulla thinks he should, but that's ultimately for the voters to decide.
More NBA: Jaylen Brown Delivers Triple-Double Masterclass Amid Celtics’ Surge