The Golden State Warriors had a long and convoluted contract dispute with star forward Jonathan Kuminga this offseason, but it also held up the presumed signing of veteran center Al Horford.
Horford had been linked to The Bay for most of the summer, but the deal didn’t become official until the end of September. Horford, who spent seven total seasons in Boston dating back to the 2016-17 campaign, answered candidly to The Athletic’s Nick Friedell when asked where he wants to end his career.
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“Yeah, I think so,” Horford said of Golden State. “I think at this point in my career, where I see everything, that is my expectation, just to be here.”
Although Horford admired the city of Boston and playing for the Celtics, adding an 18th banner to their illustrious franchise in 2024, the veteran revealed that part of his reasoning for leaving was to continue playing for a contender, and with superstar Jayson Tatum’s brutal Achilles tear keeping him out for (presumably) most of the regular season, Horford headed West.
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“There was two things there,” Horford explained. “I think the financial part was a component, but more than that, it was the winning part of it, trying to contend for a championship. And I think there was a lot of things up in the air — and it just felt like they weren’t in the same, that same vision, obviously, because [Jayson Tatum] getting hurt, that takes a big toll. So I think at that point I really had to — up until then I was staying in Boston the whole time.”
Horford is now in a situation where the team’s title-contending window matches his own. The new superstar he has been paired with in 37-year-old Stephen Curry, who has shown no signs of slowing down, but is likely looking to add a fifth championship ring to his collection sooner rather than later.
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