After helping his Boston Celtics reach their third-straight Eastern Conference Finals Wednesday night (May 15), center Al Horford began a post-game press conference by praising God. Following the series-clinching game five victory over Cleveland, Horford told a room of reporters, “First of all for me, I have to give glory to the Lord.”
The 17-year NBA pro and five-time All-Star has been vocal about his Christian faith in recent years. Although Horford had no relationship with God when Atlanta drafted him back in 2007, now his “whole purpose in life is to please God.”
Al Horford Savors Celtics Victory, Praises God
Horford, who turns 38 next month, scored 22 points, including six three-pointers, in Wednesday’s 113-98 win over the injury-afflicted Cavaliers. The center also had 15 rebounds and five assists, making him one of only three players age 37+ to notch a 20-point, 15-rebound, five-assist playoff game. The other two are LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“It’s special. It’s something that’s hard to do,” Horford said of that accomplishment. “This is another positive step of where we want to get to.” He added, “We had a great opportunity at home to handle this, and I knew it was going to take a lot more than handling it normally.”
In an interview last year, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said of Horford, “Any time he speaks, everybody listens because of his humility, his selflessness and his leadership. [He’s] always looking to make the right play.”
Next up, the Celtics will face either the New York Knicks or the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Finals. The Celtics hope to win their first NBA championship since 2008.
“First of all for me, I have to give glory to the Lord.”
— @Al_Horford keeping first things first after his 23 point, 15 rebound effort helped Boston advance to their third straight Eastern Conference Finals.pic.twitter.com/3857NZIpvh
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) May 16, 2024
Celtics Center Al Horford Serves as Spiritual Leader
On an October 2022 episode of the Sports Spectrum podcast, Horford opened up about his spiritual journey. After he became a Christian and started growing in his faith, he was quite private about it. Eventually, Horford realized he “had to speak about my faith” and “all the wonders that God has done in my life and how much he has changed me. Because he has.”
Looking back, Horford added that it’s evident that God has impacted him “for the better.”
The athlete, who’s from the Dominican Republic, first began reading the Bible in Spanish. But he switched to English to be able to share the Good News of Jesus more effectively.
Gratitude is also a key part of Horford’s faith journey. “He’s my Savior, but also he’s given me so much,” he told Sports Spectrum. “In every phase of my life, I see God’s hand…Every day when I pray, I’m always giving thanks and giving him the glory for so many things.”
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