Golden State Warriors center Al Horford is one of the most respected and well-regarded players in the NBA. Not surprisingly, he received some tremendous praise from both his present and previous head coaches on Thursday night.
On the Boston Celtics' side, his former head coach Joe Mazzulla called him "a Hall of Fame player" after the game.
While Horford's Hall of Fame credentials are debatable, he sounds like a Hall of Fame person based on what his new coach, Steve Kerr, said about him before the game.
"I admire him as a player. He's just so solid. The way he evolved as his career went on...becoming a role player," Kerr told Celtics reporter Noa Dalzell. "The character matches everything that you observed from afar. Just an incredible teammate, husband, father.
Asked Steve Kerr what’s stood out about Al Horford:
“The character matches everything that you observed from afar — just an incredible teammate, husband, father.”
“He's just somebody every team in the league would love to have.” pic.twitter.com/k0qTe9bSm5
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) February 20, 2026
"We've really enjoyed having him here. He's just somebody every team in the league would love to have."
Horford is new to the Warriors this year, but he's already made a strong first impression on Kerr. Kerr's observed him throughout his career and faced him during the 2022 NBA Finals, but now he gets to see how great Horford is up close and every day.
After two decades in the NBA, Horford has a well-deserved reputation as a terrific teammate and leader. He helped Boston win a championship two years ago and was a key mentor to younger players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Based on Kerr's positive comments, it sounds like Horford is having a similar impact on Golden State.
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